| |
| |
May 26, 2024 |
|
  |
Crazy Rums without any silly aperitifs |
|
| The schooner brigantine 'Tres Hombres' (France-Antilles Guadeloupe) |
We continue our exploration of the rum world, where we're starting to see more finishings, particularly in wine casks but also in barrels that previously held stronger-flavoured rums. One could imagine Barcelo or Bacardi finished in a Caroni or Jamaican cask (no, no, that's a bad idea!). In any case, rum is following malt whisky in this regard, though it's unclear if these in-cask blends, as we say at Habitation Whiskyfun, are always a good idea. Of course, these barrels used for the finishing process are never 'wet' and are always carefully rinsed of their previous contents, as required by etiquette and sometimes by law. Naturally! So, let's find an aperitif, avoiding any overly sweet molasses bombs this time... |
|
Saint James 'Cuvée 1765' (42%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2015) 
A young cuvée crafted to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Saint James, presented in a lovely bottle. It seems it is still offered to enthusiasts. We hold Saint James in high regard. There, that's said. Colour: yellow gold. Nose: full of yellow flowers (dandelion, buttercup), very ripe mango, and some camphorated, even medicinal touches (balms, bandages). Then come avalanches of fruit candies of all sorts. It's very, very seductive and easy. Mouth: it really seems like there's a bit of peat, which is amusing. Yet I am sure there isn't any. The rest combines ripe banana, pineapple, a touch of saltiness, toasted brioche, and maple syrup. Finish: medium length, more on cocoa powder and roasted pineapple. This slight sensation of medicinal, coastal peat lingers in the aftertaste. Definitely... Comments: a few more watts would have been welcome but it's still a damn good juice, quite flattering but never vulgar.
SGP:642 - 85 points. |
|
Père Labat 2018 'Sélection Les Frères de la Côte' (59%, Les Frères de la Côte, Marie-Galante, agricole, 760 bottles, 2022)
I remind you that Marie-Galante is part of Guadeloupe. This rum spent 4 years on the island, then crossed the Atlantic on a sailing ship, the Tres Hombres (nothing to do with ZZ Top), for 3 months (they took their time!), before resting for 2 months in mainland France. Ageing at sea has always fascinated people, ever since the Glenlivet 1899 'return from Australia' we tasted a few years ago with the BBC. Colour: gold. Nose: lots of ripe strawberries and freshly squeezed oranges, then tobacco, leather, and liquorice. Also, that very earthy side typical of the rums we greatly enjoy. But at this strength, we'll add water quickly. With water: damp earth and seaweed, then ground coffee after use. Mouth (neat): beautiful power, very fine fruity spices, cardamom, pink peppercorns, violet liqueur and lavender sweets, liquorice, and a salty edge like in Saint James… With water: the salinity becomes even more pronounced, as does the liquorice. Also, some flowers like borage. Finish: long, fresh, fruity, floral, and spicy all at once. Some notes of very ripe peach. Comments: in the end, it remains quite classic and very, very good despite its young age. They speak of 'dynamic ageing,' but this aspect remains difficult to identify during tasting (obviously).
SGP:552 - 86 points. |
|
Clairin Vieux Vaval 8 yo 2015/2023 (51.8%, Velier, Haiti, First Release) 
From Distillerie Arawaks in Cavaillon, distilled from Madame Meuze cane juice. Not entirely certain about the casks they've used – there were two of them. I must admit, I'm not convinced that aged clairin is superior to the dazzling white ones. Colour: gold. Nose: an abundance of acetone, reminiscent of nail polish remover. It's doubtful that the maturation process has softened this spirit, which, in my opinion, is fantastic. There are amusing hints of aubergines, artichokes, turnips, potting soil, gherkins, and capers… With water: notes of Pattex and UHU glue. Mouth (neat): I'd say we're on safe ground here, as there's just as much varnish and even ammonia as in the white versions. Hurrah! Some green olives too, and a peculiar sensation akin to having chewed on a pair of wellingtons the previous evening. Best forgotten. With water: oh, splendid! Still plenty of glue and varnish, but now complemented by plums and exceedingly overripe bananas. You're correct, nearly rotting. Finish: very long, with a saltier, rather bacterial quality. And olives, always olives. Comments: s-u-c-c-e-s-s. Courage, poor Haiti!
SGP:563 - 88 points. |
|
Clairin Vieux Casimir 8 yo 2015/2023 (53.6%, Velier, Haiti, First Release)
From 'Hawaii' cane from terroir 'Baradères'. They've used two ex-malt whisky barrels, hope there was not much whisky influence – right, better none. Colour: pale gold. Nose: more around tar, tyres, capers, brand new scuba diving suits (useful in the Caribbean)… With water: a little gentler, with oils and butter. Sour wine, vinegar from Jerez, pinesap, cigar ashes… Even if it doesn't sound like it, it's fantastic. Mouth (neat): a little gentler here, but utterly perfect as far as balance is concerned. Salty olives and fruits, chutneys, tarmac; bananas… This one dazzles on your palate. With water: holy featherless crow! In truth, it tends to veer off course so to speak and becomes quite acetic, but isn't there a bit of a masochist in every aficionado of such spirits? Finish: long and once again more civilised. Pepper. Comments: I've found the trick; one must just avoid adding too much water. Admirable clairin.
SGP:563 - 89 points. |
|
TDL 19 yo 2003/2022 (59.1%, Compagnie des Indes for The Auld Alliance, Trinidad, 280 bottles) 
This should be a fruit bomb. We've had some terrific TDLs within recent months. Colour: deep gold. Nose: never was a spirit this fruity. Incredible peaches, pineapples, papayas, passion fruits, mangos, pears… Sniffs like a blend of Littlemill 1990, Cooley 1991, Lochside 1966 and Benriach 1976. It's almost evil. With water: the rum's elements now come through, natural rubber, liquorice, a bit of bagasse, a hint of lady's moisturiser… Mouth (neat): a fruit bomb once again. We can just add to the above list some Bowmore and Laphroaig from the 1960s. But is this really rum? Isn't it more like fortified mango juice? With water: fresh parsley and Thai basil join the parade of exotic fruits. Finish: long, with a great purity of fruit. Wonderful touches of coriander leaves – if you like coriander leaves, of course. Comments: mad fruitiness, there's almost an embarrassing side to it. I know what I'm meaning…
SGP:851 - 91 points. |
|
Ewarton 17 yo 2005/2022 'WPL' (54.8%, Velier & Silver Seal, Cedro Series, Jamaica, 178 bottles)
This is a Worthy Park entirely aged at the distillery. Not too sure about what 'Ewarton' refers to, what we know is that 'WPL' means it's a very light marque (60-120 gr ester/HLPA). What's really interesting here is that 2005 was the first vintage of 'new Worthy Park', the distillery having previously remained silent for decades. Colour: gold. Nose: cedar shavings, hops, tangerines, incense, sandalwood, ripe papayas, cane honey, plasticine. And one small olive. With water: very lovely, midway between the world of fresh fruits and that of crazy esters (funk, as some friends say). In short, more incense, old Himalayan temple, red tea, and so on. Old clothes in an old wardrobe. Mouth (neat): once more, this is absolutely not 'light', but it is very acetic, with obvious notes of cider vinegar. Some pinot gris, quince, fruity-lighter varnish (acetate) in the background. With water: no need water, H2O slightly dismembers it, so to speak. Straight oak and big peppers coming out, the limits of exclusive tropical aging. Finish: long, on cocoa, bitter chocolate… Comments: nothing to add.
SGP:462 - 87 points. |
|
Diamond (Port Mourant) 10 yo 2013/2023 (63.5%, Rock & Rhum, Guyana)
Got to love these wee French bottlers that write rum, 'rhum'. We've already tried an excellent variant at a lower strength (WF 88). Colour: pale white wine. Nose: lovely turpentine, bicycle inner tube, coal dust, cellulosic varnish, engine oil, smallest olives… With water: leatherette, carbon, small acidic apples. The ones you couldn't even distill, even if you added tons of sugar and bags of champagne yeast. Mouth (neat): awesomely pure, salty, briney and fantastically 'chemical'. Sounds odd but I know you know what I'm talking 'bout. This pure rooty liquorice is just as awesome, by the way. With water: waxes and ashes in all their guises. Lime juice and olive oil. Finish: long, tight, rubbery in a good way, a notch metallic as well. After all it's only ten. Comments: Port Mourant, one of the grandest distillates, thanks to the prehistoric distilling equipment. Innovation? You go first… Forgot to mention a Bowmore-y side – without the Aston Martin nonsense.
SGP:463 - 89 points. |
|
Port Mourant 2010/2022 (59%, Rum Nation, Guyana, sherry finish)
The folks at Rum Nation in Italy are simply wonderful (there, this should earn us a half-pint of Moretti next time we meet). Colour: chardonnay. Nose: the sherry remains subtle, and that's that. Otherwise, it's a slightly gentler Port Mourant, more on vegetable oils, apples, papayas, with some cigar ashes and graphite, charcoal, pencils… With water: very lovely notes of white asparagus, which we adore! Mouth (neat): excellent, on tart apples, lemon, very green olive oil, liquorice wood… Really very good and more lemony than others. Don't tell me it's the sherry finish that's the guilty party… Or was it manzanilla? With water: saltier but still civilised. Perhaps a bit of walnut liqueur, and that's the sherry. No problem. Or perhaps our Italian friends added some Nocino from Modena while everyone was looking the other way. Finish: long but balanced. The green walnuts becomes evident. Comments: one could drink quite a lot of this. Hey, it's none of my business, but a nocino finish, why not?
SGP:463 – 88 points. |
|
Caroni 25 yo 1997/2023 'Venus' (60.1%, Jack Tar, Cosmic Series, cask #81)
TBH, everything gets a little cosmic once you've got some good Caroni in your glass. What's terrible is that once you've heard the word 'Venus', you cannot not think of Shocking Blue – or yeah, or Banana-rama (good one S. You're fired). Colour: deep gold. Nose: no banana here; we are deeply entrenched in precious woods, associated varnishes, and furniture waxes. Rosewood, cigar humidor, cedar, thuja wood, old cask, old solera butt, cigar box… we are truly in these realms. With water: oh, how beautiful! An old Italian library crammed full of incunabula. Leather, waxes, old paper, parchment… Mouth (neat): totally exceptional. Mint, liquorice, verbena, camphor, litres of chartreuse, old French rancio, Spanish Malaga (obviously)… we are in international territory; it's not 'just rum'. The wood is very present, but since part of the ageing happened in old Europe, we stayed in more or less civilised territory (No stupid politics, we're talking about the climate). With water: some say that tropical ageing multiplies the maturation speed by three. This would mean that this Caroni, if it had been aged on-site, would be as tired and distorted as a 75-year-old rum. Can you imagine! But it is purely magical, poetry in a bottle. Sage and old ham. Finish: long, precious, very complex, moving towards a morel sauce with old sweet wine. Well played, I've made myself hungry. Comments: this is when you think of Botticelli's Venus Rising from the Sea, and you're about to be struck by Stendhal syndrome. Or almost that.
SGP:563 - 93 points. |
Hard to stop there, come on, one last 25-year-old Caroni... |
|
Caroni 25 yo 1997/2023 'Manta Ray Genesis' (60.4%, Silver Seal & East Asia Whisky Company, bourbon cask, cask #121)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: good grief, it's almost the same rum! Still those varnishes, those waxes, those bananas, those very ripe plums, that camphory side... Let's speed things up. With water: cigars, cedarwood, pipe tobacco, dried apricots, old polish, old books... Mouth (neat): yes, it's the same. Mint, Chartreuse, liquorice, fino, green walnuts, nocino... I particularly recommend Silver Seal's nocino, by the way (and bam, another free half pint of Moretti down the hatch). With water: it's the same rum as the Jack Tar at this stage. Finding differences would be splitting hairs. Well, perhaps a little more rubber and lanolin in this little Silver Seal, but maybe not. Finish: very long, mentholated, liquoricy, with that raw ham and sage again. Raw ham and sage, but it's saltimbocca from Rome! Comments: to be honest, when I saw the name 'Manta Ray', I thought this rum was going to be a bit flat. Silly me. To be 100% honest, it is just a tiny tad less complex, less 'Botticellian' than the Jack Tar. Anyway, we're at a very, very high altitude in both cases.
SGP:563 - 92 points. |
Still, the big surprise was the TDL. They need to be watched closely... Well then, see you next time! |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far
|
| |
May 25, 2024 |
|
|
Feis Ile, Lagavulin Day Special - Interview |
|
"With one
or two exceptions,
I think it's very silly."
Today, we are republishing a little gem, an interview with Mike Nicolson that we first published on Malt Maniacs back in 2004, twenty years ago, which then quite quickly disappeared from the web, for reasons I can't quite recall. |
I am often asked what has changed in the whisky world over the past twenty years. The industry would invariably respond that they have gained a better understanding of maturation and wood, which has enabled them to offer even better whiskies while realising that age ultimately doesn't matter much. Hmm.
In truth, I think that just reading this twenty-year-old interview, published here unchanged and, of course, with Mike's permission, will suffice to give a better answer to that question.
But who is Mike Nicolson? A former Distillery Manager of several entities, including Lagavulin where he also used to organise extraordinary blues concerts with his own band, Mike retired twenty years ago and moved to Vancouver Island, from where he had responded to this interview at the time. Since then, distillers from around the world have sought his immense talent and he remains active to this day.
I hope you enjoy reading or re-reading this old interview as much as I did, even though I now realise some of my questions were a bit silly! But Mike knows how to brilliantly answer even the most foolish questions, all while avoiding the automatic corporate language that unfortunately adorns 99% of interviews, making them seem or sound like mere PR pieces rewritten by ChatGPT...
(While you read this interview, you might also enjoy listening to Mike sing the blues and play the guitar with his band Michigan Curve, even though this album wasn't recorded in the old Malt Mill that time. I love it! You'll also find it on Spotify) |
Mike Nicolson's interview
By Serge
December 18, 2004 (republished integrally May 25, 2024) |
Trying to explain to you how I came to having a chat with one of the most malicious, most professional and remoter (to Scotland, no need to say) retired distillery managers and blues guitarist would be way too long and complicated, as were notably involved some 10-packs of French cigarettes, an ex-racoon, Ron Sexmith – the singer, the Oban lifeboat and Dr Nick Morgan, of Diageo fame. Yes, no less… But if you want to learn which colours you should never wear when visiting a distillery, why Lagavulin is magic or whether whisky is better today or not, please read on… And oh, by the way, please warn your family and your neighbours, you might well burst into laughter from time to time! |
Q// Mike, you were the Manager at Blair Athol, Lagavulin and finally Lochnagar just before you retired. Were there other distilleries you've been working at? |
MN// Are you sitting comfortably? |
| Firstly, Caol Ila is missing from your list, which I had the privilege of Managing during my time on Islay and if you wanted to get me in trouble with Billy, Flora and the "Black Hand Gang", missing it out would be a good way of doing it. You don't want to get me in trouble, do you? |
| Prior to the places already mentioned, I was managing Glenkinchie but, that was a long time ago and it will be safe to drink now as all the stuff I made will have been consumed already. |
| In a junior management capacity, Linlithgow (St. Magdalene), Hillside (Glenesk), Linkwood and Muir of Ord. |
There is another list of briefer working visits, dating back to the time when men walked in front of automobiles with red flags – Glen Albyn, Glen Mhor, Rosebank, Aultmore, Cardhu, The original Caol Ila, Dallas Dhu, Dalwhinnie, Benromach, Millburn, Teaninich and Glentauchers.
|
Q// Wow, there's almost only Mannochmore missing! I'd have loved to ask you a few questions about Loch Dhu… Anyway, what was the biggest change moving from Blair Athol to Lagavulin/Caol Ila and then to Lochnagar? |
MN// Well, the weather for a start. Snow &big floods, to a place so windy that on most days everyone has the same hairstyle, to more snow and Big hills and, the folks of course, always different, thank God. |
| For the technophobes: - distillation régimes and levels of technology. For the sociable: - the amount of interaction with the customers. |
| Blair Athol spirit character is such that it requires to be distilled rather quickly, Lagavulin on the other hand, has the longest and slowest spirit run that I have ever seen. At Lochnagar the object was to maintain a spirit character that would not normally be delivered by the design of the plant there. Tricky eh? |
| Blair Athol, when I spent time there, was technologically very sophisticated and energy efficient but the layout seemed to have been designed by a blind man having a bad day. The change from traditional mash house plant, at Lagavulin, to something a bit more up to date, happened during my tenure and, that is always a good time to find out how paranoid you actually are. The Lochnagar equipment is without a great deal of sophistication but as I suggested before, you have to sort of keep your eye on it. |
| One of the biggest changes in the business during my time, was the development of distilleries as educational and marketing tools which means, that Managers get to meet the customers face to face and learn stuff. |
| Blair Athol being sighted in a big tourist town, conducts its visitor facilities as you might expect, for large numbers, in support of its malt and as a key ingredient of it's well known associated blend, whose name escapes me for the moment. To run an enterprise of this nature requires a different Manager's skill set to be developed, for which he/she might find violent rages, formal executions, cross dressing and low standards of personal hygiene, to be fairly unhelpful. |
| Lagavulin, being sited where it is, means that not many people go there. It also means that a high proportion of those that do find their way there come by way of a pilgrimage, therefore paying the ultimate homage to the magic liquid. So, there you have it, lovely people, albeit pleasantly obsessed, bit of time to talk to them, occasional requests for the Manager's autograph or small fragments of his clothing, well, tough job huh? |
| Lochnagar, as home of the Malt Advocate Course (1), takes this personal interaction thing to another level. The Manager at that particular establishment, persuaded/ pushed/ordered/blackmailed by a Marketing department who, daily, have to be talked out of invading Poland, gets to tell people the truth about the mysteries of the production of some of the best Malt Whiskies around. Fortunately, he is assisted in this endeavour by an outstanding collection of "experts", some of whom have moustaches, large livers, wonderfully bad attitudes and are patrons of the Oxford Bar. |
The job specification is an interesting read, involving sleep deprivation, a precise knowledge of the location of pharmacies and their opening hours, the ability to cope with anxiety levels similar to a crew member of Apollo Five and, being good at herding cats. The successful applicant will be rewarded by meeting lots of wonderful people from all over the World including, fellow employees, a large proportion of whom appear to be fundamentally disturbed and, additional reward is provided by being supported by the remarkable Distillery staff and, of course, Lucy (2).
|
Q// I must say Lagavulin really has a cult status. Are there specific reasons for that, except the fact that it's a great dram from Islay? |
MN// Yes, although that's a pretty fundamental exception, it's magic.
I dunno completely how it works, that people will name their children after the place but, it has drama. |
| Having spent four years watching winter storms, some of them in July, from that house on the point, it's something that you don't forget in a hurry. |
| History was normally something we read about when we wore short trousers but, it's not usually something you go to work in every day. Not that I ever was an avid history student but after just a little time there, you know that you are part of a community which has been there for a very, very long time indeed when you can walk over to the castle and see the remains of the sea gate, where the long ships were pulled up. |
| After that, you're into that continuum thing where you are reminded that life is short and that you are following on from those that went before, who made an exceptional spirit in that place, for generations. |
| Then of course there are the people that work there. They are similarly exceptional. Gentle, proud, funny, creative and too supportive of "White Settlers" like me, just passing through. |
And the other good thing is, that they all have long memories so, you can hear the stories like," The mash house ghost" or, how Big Angus spent the Chairman's visit locked in a cupboard. Killer stuff. The place seems to have a propensity to attract eccentrics or perhaps it just provides the opportunity for them to flourish, like Sir Peter Mackie, a hugely successful entrepreneur but a nutter none the less.
So, like I said, I dunno, s'magic.
|
Q// Oh yes, the people! I remember last time I visited the distillery with a few other maniacs… Pinky was our guide, and he really made my day. Little man, huge personality! I guess you worked with him… |
MN// Pinky is a star. Vertically challenged he may be but ………….. He's big in Japan.
|
Q// It's not that I want to insist too much on Lagavulin, but the Lagavulin Distiller's Editions are excellent drams – the recent 1987 just won a Malt Maniacs Award - how do you feel about the wider spreading of the practice of 'finishes"? |
MN// With one or two exceptions, I think it's very silly.
|
Q// Well, at least that's a clear answer! So, apart of these 'finishings', what's the biggest improvement in production since you started working? |
MN// The way my former employer encouraged Managers to treat the folks that make the liquids. When I started in the business as a young man, things got done because the boss said so, period. Thinking, most forms of creativity, and involvement out with your own discipline just didn't happen much. By the time I left the business the boys and girls "on the floor" were performing formerly management functions, bringing all of their individual skills to the benefit of the workplace, demanding involvement and decision making powers. A transformation and, from my point of view, as a Manager, a delight.
|
Q// I see. And what's the piece of 'tradition' you regret has disappeared since you started working? |
MN// Flogging the employees and the Manager's right to the local virgins, yeah, it was bad when that went.
|
Q// Oh, so what I heard wasn't just a rumour! ;-) But 'technically' speaking? I mean, direct-fired stills, European casks, open-air worm condensers… You know, the anoraks like us will always suspect the industry is trashing tradition to make more profit. Maybe it's a myth, and whisky's actually better nowadays than it used to be… |
MN// Christ Serge, an interview was ok but if you want a book, I might need a little lie down first.
|
| Personally, I believe that it's pretty plain that whisky today is better than it used to be. |
If you started a business, today, that involved hundreds of geographically scattered entrepreneur types doing their own thing with limited education, low levels of technology, poor communication and no minimum quality standards and where everywhere was a long walk to the pub, I would be surprised if your expectation of success would be great. If you look back to the first time it became generally commercially "visible", it was drunk, often, as a "cordial" i.e. it was so bad, that you had to put stuff in it to get it down
your neck.
|
| And what happened? Well, progress. Science happened. People got smarter, experience and communication developed, folks got organized, sometimes even into these contemptible things called "companies". Someone wrote down some rules. Blenders happened. Customers (markets) happened. Everybody sobered up. |
| As far as change, improvement and innovation are concerned, those have been intrinsic parts of the business since it became one, this is not something new that just snuck up on us. Look at the grain still for instance, without which we wouldn't be having this nice chat because the business would have gone to the wall round about 1890. The key of course, is not change but, responsible change. I can't speak for other Corporations but, the one I used to work for seemed to understand what most of the good bits are, like what whiskies do you make? Why do they taste the way they do? How do you consistently keep them like that? And, where do they fit in the business? If you know this stuff then there are some areas, product quality for instance, where your attitude to change is going to be and, I know this is a relative word, conservative. I would like to tell you that I enjoyed all the change that came my way, and yes every organization has a percentage of wild eyed, master of the universe types that would "sort out" the business by making all Scotland's malt whisky at one giant distillery just outside Paisley but, if you know what the good bits are, then there is usually someone around to make sure that these people are properly medicated. |
| I know that when they showed up tomorrow, the film crew that is, that they would be thrilled if they found everyone wearing wooden shoes, working by paraffin lamps with hacking coughs, missing digits and Franz and List but, maybe it's not a bad thing that we left that behind. At this point I should declare a vested interest. The whisky business has fed three generations of my family, some of whom were/are Romantics, so, this change stuff has actually been pretty good for the Nicolsons. |
| (Author's note :-) Nicolson, small and historically insignificant bunch, more of a gang than a clan, quite content to be continually bossed about by the MacLeods, apparently, you know, fetching their slippers, that sort of thing. After two thousand years of hanging about, they finally do show up to fight. Where? Culloden. (Nice going boys.) |
Anyway Serge, at the next Maniac's convention, gimmie a call when you all go down to the beach with your forks, I could make some serious money from that kind of photo opportunity.
|
Q// It's true that there is clearly a debate between the maltheads who like a little mystique and the ones who think we should stick to the proven facts, what are your ideas? |
MN// Well, what's to argue about? They're both right. |
| With a History stretching over many hundreds of years making a product that remains an intrinsic part of Scottish culture and therefore, with thousands of stories to tell, it would be a bit dumb not to take advantage of our good fortune and use some of them. By dint of our inheritance though, making them up would render one as uncool as it was possible to be. Nor do I think that to convincingly use the romance that surrounds our product, one has to act like some backward Scottish hayseed, dressed like an advertisement for shortbread. Remember the Gospel according to Dr. Morgan (3), Chapter fourteen, Verse nine, "Customers want to buy a real product, made in real places, by real people". |
| Yea, verily. |
| Now, the facts. The first thing to remember is, that often in spite of appearances to the contrary, whiskypersons don't know everything. Compared to our forefathers, we know tons but, happily, the product is so complicated that we will all be a long time dead, for example, before the last mysteries of maturation have been unravelled. |
| A lot of the reason for this conflict is the producers' fault. In days gone by, before we knew what we know now, marketers would tell the customers what they thought the customers wanted to hear. The surprise, that there may be other reasons for individual spirit character, other than the magic Scottish water or that the stillman is left handed and wears a kilt, is therefore, kinda understandable. |
| The fact is, that not only do the producers now know more but, so do their customers. Bit of catching up to do I think? |
Me? I'm in the romantic truth camp.
|
Q// Yes, but some people within the industry clearly get puzzled by these anoraks (us!) who want to know a little more than what's written in the ads. What do you think? |
MN// I wouldn't worry about it if I were you; the industry is full of people who are easily puzzled. |
| After all they were puzzled by gravity, the internal combustion engine, non-refillable fitments, how m&m's don't melt in your hand, that that really is Dave Broom's own hair, the tooth fairy and, like the rest of us, the fact that Keef is still with us. |
| Personally, I like anoraks, inquisitive, challenging, good for the grey matter. |
| Mind you, I might have to re-evaluate my position if my daughter brought one home. No, on reflection, that would probably be better than the procession of Neanderthals she seems to be specialising in at the moment. After all, anoraks have mastered the art of walking, communicate above the level of a grunt and most of them don't drool. |
| If I have one teeny weeny criticism, it's that in their relentless and all-consuming thirst for anorak knowledge, sometimes, they can take their eye off the ball. |
| Like caramel for instance. (Don't mail me Germany, I'm not in.) |
Oh and the other thing is, and this is a bit delicate, couldn't we get them to dress a bit better? I mean, come on folks, it's actually ok to wear socks and even Martha Stewart thinks that yellow and orange don't go together.
|
Q// He he he, I really understand. It happens often that when visiting a distillery with some other maltheads, I feel I should say to the guide 'Look, I'm not with them, I promise!' Now, what puzzles me even more is seeing some guys visiting, say Lagavulin with an Ardbeg sweater, a Bruichladdich baseball cap and a pair of Laphroaig socks… Now, can you tell us how was life on Islay and why did you move to Canada? Any similarities? |
MN// Life on Islay was engaging. Special place. Lovely people, big sense of "togetherness" as opposed to that overused and much devalued word, "community". The invisible support network, that visitors would never see, was wonderful. Someone always knew the person who could help you with whatever the problem was, often, before you knew that you had a problem. |
| Why move to Canada? Well, public service really, so that my friend would have somewhere nice to come for his holidays. |
| Similarities? Since I live on Vancouver Island, you have to get a ferry to get here. That is the only thing that is similar. |
| What are more noticeable are the differences, here's a list:- |
| There are roads here, not just a lot of corners joined together. |
| Nobody called "W" lives here. |
| The ferry crew was not trained at the Slobodan Milosevic School of customer care. |
| We got traffic lights. |
| The band goes on before midnight. |
| We got trees, lots of them. I mean more trees than you could shake a stick at, if you know what I mean. That's trees as far as the eye can f----ing see. We got trees in places other countries don't have trees. We're treed. Big time. |
| There is no Co-op. |
| The electricity stays on all the time. |
If you get into a fight with a policeman, he will not come round the next day just to check that you are ok.
|
Q// Nick Morgan told me you're a blues guitarist extraordinaire, and it's true that some aficionados fondly remember your gigs on Islay, with your band. Do you know some other musicians who, like us, are whisky aficionados? |
MN// I would need to refer you to the huge but underestimated talent that is Mr. Adrian Byron Burns. Giant voice, astonishing guitar technique, cross genre repertoire, a Gentleman and, I feel sure, available for bookings in your area. Tell him Uncle Mike is looking for his ten percent. Adrian's label is Private Edition and never, never miss a live show.
|
Q// Great, I just listened to a few mp3s he did put on his website – in the 'CD' section. He's really excellent, thanks for the tip! Two last, short questions now, if you please… Do you remember your first dram? |
MN// Listen, I'm retired, I have trouble with yesterday.
|
Q// Ah… and what's your favourite dram? |
MN// When did you stop beating your wife?
|
Q// Okay, okay, the one you dislike most, then? |
MN// The guy that plays cement mixer on Metallica's second last album.
Wasn't that three questions?
|
Ha ha, I can see that even if some are now retired, they didn't lose too many of their 'corporate' reflexes, did they? Anyway, thanks a bunch, Mike, it's been a huge pleasure. I hope you'll come again and play the blues during the Islay Festival in the coming years! |
(Mike Nicolson, Serge Valentin, December 18, 2004) |
------------------------------ |
(1) Malts Advocates Course - an in-depth experiential training programme set up by the Diageo Malts team in 1998 for Diageo malt marketeers around the world, trade customers and writers, based at Royal Lochnagar. Mike was the first host. It was rolled out to distillery staff as 'Malt Advocates for Operators'. Charlie Maclean and Dave Broom gave an independent point of view alongside Diageo experts such as Jim Beveridge and Neil Cochrane (both now retired). |
(2) Lucy Pritchard - a long-serving member of the Diageo Malts team |
(3) Dr Nick Morgan - formerly Global Marketing Director for Malts Whiskies at Diageo, now author and writer |
A Little Lagavulin 16 just to Thank Mike |
We'll just add a little tasting note, a Lagavulin of course. We taste Lagavulin 16 almost every year; it's one of the few expressions we closely follow. However, we had never tried a 2016 batch, yet we had a bottle hidden at the back of a shelf... (really, any excuse will do). In any case, this spirit was probably distilled in 1999 or 2000, indeed under the guidance of Mike Nicolson. |
|
Lagavulin 16 yo (43%, OB, +/- 2016)
One of those renowned malt expressions that 'never really stayed what they previously were' over the years, at least since 2000, if not earlier. But no! As Duke Ellington said, 'Things ain't what they used to be,' and this is evident in all areas. As we ourselves age, past versions seem to improve, but of course, it's mainly us who change, not so much the whiskies (well, maybe a little). "The older I get, the faster I was," said racing driver Stirling Moss. Anyway, for me and if I look back at all my notes, Lagavulin has remained a superb whisky, sometimes leaning a bit more towards the sherry side, other times more on the tar and natural rubber side (BDSM outfit, some less reputation-conscious friends would say). Colour: gold. Nose: bravo Mike and gang! It's perfect, fresh and precise, salty, with just a hint of coffee, black olives, mandarins, leather, tobacco, liquorice, and heathery earth… This is truly what one can call a classic. Mouth: perfect, one of the rare whiskies that holds the 43% ABV perfectly without ever feeling hollow. Anyway, Lagavulin is never hollow; you just need to carefully avoid those flavoured with rum or tequila, completely unnecessary and incomprehensible treatments – should we expect the worst in the coming years? What would Mike think? Sea water, salt, coffee, bay leaf, leather, olives, tar, and really a lot of peat… Finish: surprisingly long for its strength. Pepper, salt, Seville oranges, tobacco, liquorice, tar, leather… Comments: it's a shame, its price has gone up and it's found much less often in bars and restaurants. It used to be my go-to whisky in those places.
SGP: 567 - 90 points. |
| |
May 24, 2024 |
|
|
A small gang of Ardbeg, part 2
We continue, simply put... And we'll try to speed things up a bit compared to yesterday; one could write novels about certain Ardbegs. But that would be deadly... |
One of the last casks filled by Allied/Laphroaig before
closure of the distillery and the sale of Ardbeg to
Glenmorangie the following year (WF Archive) |
|
Islay Single Malt 14 yo 2009/2023 'Southern A' (50.2%, Maltbarn, 'Circles', bourbon cask)
An 'A' in the south, what could that be? Ardenistiel? Islay's Ardmore? Wasn't there once an Ardtalla Distillery? Not too sure about the latter. Colour: white wine. Nose: we're close to the best batches of Ardbeg 'Ten', with a magnificent and quite sharp purity, on petrol, then rather massive doses of verbena liqueur, a bit of rubber and tar, hessian, polystyrene glue... In short, all those things we love. With water: crushed herbs, especially parsley. Then a new inner tube. Classic. Mouth (neat): a bit sweet at first (absinthe with its sugar), then more on citrus and pepper. And again, that smoky limoncello note. With water: all things coastal, salty and lemony come to the fore. Finish: long, tense, almost 'pointed'. Peppery lemon in the aftertaste. Comments: what a gentle beast! Of course, we love it…
SGP:667 - 90 points. |
It's a real shame that one can only discover Ardbeg once in a lifetime. (Pointless comment, typical of this miserable website – Ed). |
|
Kildalton 14 yo 2009/2023 (52.1%, DramCatcher, hogshead, cask #1102)
Colour: vin blanc. Colour: white wine. Nose: this is quite a gentle Ardbeg, even if the profile is similar to the previous one. Grapefruit syrup, ashes on the beach, followed by a more medicinal side. Old cough syrup, camphor balm, lemongrass... Then oysters. It's quite magnificent on the nose. With water: we find model glue and boat deck oil (teak oil). Mouth (neat): pure recent Ardbeg, lemon, smoke, ashes. Again, very much in the style of the best official 'Ten', not necessarily the first 'Introducing Ten Years Old', if that rings a bell. With water: isn't this an unadulterated official? Pepper, ashes, zest, brine. Finish: long and even more peppery. Comments: I adore it. Dior J'adore, Ardbeg I dig (that's pathetic, S.).
SGP:567 - 90 points. |
These 2009s seem really top-notch, but let's be sure… |
|
Kildalton 13 yo 2009/2023 (59.1%, SCSM, China, hogshead, cask #2116, 445 bottles)
From the Chinese 'Single Cask Single Malt' crew. Colour: straw. Nose: an Ardbeg identical in every respect to the previous one. No complaints at all. Now, I'm not saying it's exactly the same whisky, of course, but in a double-blind tasting, they would be indistinguishable. Mouth: same comments apply, even the extra watts don't change much. It's excellent, with notes of lemon, ash, and smoke. With water, just to see how similar indeed it is to the previous one: well, it is. Perhaps it's just a tad more medicinal with a few additional touches of glue. Or not. Finish: the same, identical, thus excellent. Comments: I feel I should apologise to the excellent members of SCSM. Will they ever forgive me?
SGP:567 - 90 points. |
|
Secret Islay 6 yo 2017/2023 (61.4%, Swell de Spirits, #2 Pop Intercaves, blended malt, France)
The thing is, even if the origins were truly secret, it's often quite clear which cask batches are hitting the market, and it only takes one to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, for the origin of the whole lot to be revealed. Additionally, the term 'blended malt' is becoming increasingly controversial, as we've discussed before. Except for genuine blended malts, of course. Colour: white wine. Nose: it has the feeling of new make, but that's far from unpleasant. It's almost like it's been aged in concrete eggs, ha. Very pretty Williams pear eau-de-vie, smoked fish, fireplace ash, extinguished pipe, burnt pine wood... With water: the traditional chalk and virgin wool soaked in rainwater. And fresh bread. Mouth (neat): absolutely excellent. Peat, white agricole rum, mezcal, lemon juice, a touch of quinine... It's almost like an Islay white spirit. So, not really immature young Ardbeg, rather a young Ardbeg that was selected and grown so that it could be enjoyed at a very young age. It's quite superb. With water: still that smoked pear with peat. It would be amusing if fruit distillers started peating their products, there might be a market for that! You say it already exists??? Finish: this is where it falters a bit, as is almost always the case with very, very young whiskies. Essentially, it lacks a bit of polish, but that's to be expected. A full ashtray in the aftertaste. Comments: very spectacular, very good. I didn't have enough of it, but otherwise, I would have tried this baby in a mizuwari. Because we're not afraid of anything at Château
WF. SGP:657 - 88 points. |
Right, enough with the young gangsters, let's try one or two old glories, just to put everything into perspective and 'recalibrate our benchmarks', as one might say if we wanted to appear serious... |
|
Ardbeg 19 yo 1975/1995 (47.3%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection)
We've never tried this one, but last year we sampled another from this series, a 75/95 at 51.8%, which was rather intergalactic (WF 94). Colour: pale gold. Nose: a different world. Cadenhead, in those blessed times, were offering undiluted malts in this series, meaning these 47.3% were, in theory at least, natural. Old turpentine and ancient paint pots, those famous tarry ropes, pine sawdust, notes of black garlic, new leather and old leather (not the same thing at all!), then citrus liqueurs, bone broth, old amontillado (whether there's a sherry influence or not)... What a nose! Mouth: here we rediscover the complexity of old malts whose strength has naturally declined. This one has lots of plasticine, beef fat, candied lemon, cooked whelks, camphor, old chartreuse, tar liqueur... This might not sound very coherent, but rest assured, it is in the glass. Finish: only medium in length, but it's the complexity that wins the day. If I dared, I'd mention mint sauce – English recipe, of course. And again, beef marrow and... black garlic! Lots of pine in the aftertaste. Comments: it might not have the punch of last year's bottling (I mean the '75 I tried last year), but what a beauty, even if it's a beauty that's a tiny bit 'worn' here and there. Well, you know what I mean.
SGP:476 - 92 points. |
Ring ring, the last one for today, please… |
|
Ardbeg 28 yo 1972/2000 (49.5%, Douglas Laing, Old Malt Cask, 492 bottles)
Another seminal series and a bottle that doesn't even tell you what type of cask it came from. In those blessed times, the cask type was usually only mentioned if it was sherry, and even then, only if it was heavily sherried. Essentially, no one cared much about the cask type, and that was perfectly fine—they were distillers or maturers, not cabinetmakers or winemakers. Okay, I'll stop now... Colour: gold. Nose: the purity of those years! It is, or rather was, much more medicinal than modern Ardbegs, though not in the Laphroaig sense. Essentially, it's more tarry ointments rather than mercurochrome and bandages. The rest unfolds with new tyres à la Port Ellen, shellfish à la Caol Ila, engine oil and rubber à la Lagavulin, and smoked oysters à la Bowmore. Sorry, but no exotic fruits of any kind. Mouth: entirely on tar, bitter almonds, and a bit of burnt rubber. I had forgotten just how brutal and massive these Ardbegs could be, even at a relatively modest strength like this. Harsh ash, salted lemon liqueur, tars, forgotten balms (can't remember which ones), olive oil... In fact, these Ardbegs were really more about the whole experience rather than a sequence of aromas and flavours. In short, they were Ardbegs. Finish: sublimely Ardbeg. An incredible balance of pine resin, rubber, salt, smoke, lemon, and lapsang souchong. A tiny hint of passion fruit right at the end. Comments: there used to be some very fine people who were not liking this style at all, and frankly, we were understanding them. It's massive! But we still absolutely love it...
SGP:468 - 94 points. |
In life, we always have the urge to criticise what we once loved, and this might be the case with distilleries like Macallan or Ardbeg, but when you have the right expressions in the glass, you have to be honest and admit that these are or were indeed damn good whiskies! |
(Thank you KC, Edward and other crazy friends) |
| |
May 23, 2024 |
|
|
Alas! No Feis Ile for me this time again, but we were on Islay just a few weeks ago for the opening of the new Port Ellen. In any case, this won't stop us from tasting many Islay whiskies over the next few days, although not in sync with the official days of each distillery, of course. For instance, we'll start with some Ardbeg... |
A small gang of Ardbegs, part 1
(Picture, Ardbeg during the time of modest and amusing marketing, in 2007 (WF Archive)
|
 |
It's true that I've somewhat neglected our Islays lately, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the first Ardnahoe the other day. Rest assured, we'll make up for it in the coming days, starting with a few Ardbegs that we've been sitting on for a while. Not all of them are labelled 'Ardbeg', but there's no doubt about the origin of these small and great whiskies... Oh, and let's start with the worst aperitif imaginable, so that it serves as a lesson to us all... |
|
Ardbeg 12 yo 'Special Reserve Bottled 1966' (80° proof, OB, 262/3 FL. OZS)
- FAKE. A lot of issues with this bottle. It features a red Italian tax band with two stars and '0.750', dating it between 1975 and 1991, which doesn't match 1966, although it's not conclusive proof as these bands could have been added later if these bottles had been then re-shipped to Italy after a few years. Additionally, there's a large D at the bottom of the label, used in France until around 1982, indicating duties were paid, but a French bottle would never display proof degrees or ounces. Moreover, the SC295 code on the glass base was produced post-1966, from 1968 onwards. There's also no mention of an importer, French or otherwise. Therefore, there are too many inconsistencies for this bottle to be genuine, but on the other hand, forgers often used young malts from G&M available at the time they made them, and those could be very good! So, this could very well be Ardbeg from 1972, 1973, or 1974, for example (but not at 80° proof UK, obviously). Finally, all genuine Ardbeg collectors assert that it's a fake, and frankly, that's enough for me. Anyway, let's try this very suspect Ardbeg for the cause... Colour: straw. Nose: from the bottle, which I hold in my hands, it smells unmistakably of Ardbeg from that era, with plenty of ashes and soot. However, in the glass, it flattens out rather quickly, moving towards smoked water, apple juice, caster sugar, and indeed, a bit of pine resin. Well, honestly, it gives an illusion, but certainly not at 80° proof, so nearly 46% ABV. But yes, it does smell like Ardbeg… Mouth: yes, typically a young Islay, not necessarily Ardbeg despite the acrid and very ashy character, somewhat sweet. Also a medicinal and salty side. It's quite good, actually. Finish: medium length, salty, with lemon, limoncello (you see, it's Italian made – hey, just joking!) and still plenty of smoke. Comments: really has a G&M CC vibe. I think it's an old fantasy fake, already quite aged, meant to adorn Italian collections for aesthetic purposes only, and probably not a recent fake aimed at scamming overly naïve aspiring speculators worldwide. But it's a very, very good Islay whisky and most possibly light Ardbeg indeed!
SGP:467 - 88 points. |
Update: all these bottles of Ardbeg 12 'bottled 1966' may contain very different whiskies! |
|
Ardbeg 'Anamorphic' (48.2%, OB, Committee Release, bourbon, 2023) 
These gimmicky bottlings aren't series we follow regularly, but since it's on our desk... Very late with this one indeed. I'm sure this one is genuine; no serious forger would have dared making such a bottle. It's about losing your head, so only NAS (boo) but fun (hurray). In any case, fat whiskies better lose their heads than their tails, I'm telling you. Colour: straw. Nose: the resemblance to the unfortunate 12 is evident, so it was indeed an Ardbeg. Ash, a bit of vanilla, chalk and slate, some sweets, charcoal, then curious slightly sour notes, reminiscent of hearts of palm or pickled baby artichokes. The custard then comes back to wrap it all up. Not bad. Mouth: a bit strange. Lemon Schweppes, Aperol, a little ginger, hints of silver spoon, a tiny touch of pineapple, perhaps from charred wood? Also some pink peppercorn chocolate, which isn't bad at all. Finish: rather short and a bit hesitant, it reminds me somewhat of Serendipity. Those odd pineapples return in the aftertaste. Comments: quite good but a bit undetermined. Reconstructed Ardbeg?
SGP:656 - 84 points. |
|
Ardbeg 13 yo 'Anthology The Harpy's Tale' (46%, OB, 2023)
A blend of Ardbeg ex-bourbon and Ardbeg ex-'sweet Sauternes'. Actually it doesn't make much sense to write about 'sweet Sauternes' having said that, all fresh Sauternes being sweet by definition. You can make dry white in the region, but then you cannot call it Sauternes. A good example is the superb 'Y' d'Yquem, which is a 'simple' Bordeaux. BTW Yquem and Ardbeg share the same owners, they would know. Right… Colour: pale gold. Nose: like! We know peat and Sauternes/Barsac can work very well, as we could already see at Kornog's and elsewhere. So no clashes, rather smoked mirabelles, peppered quinces and tarry apricots, plus some charcoal and seawater. A touch of cream cheese in the background, or gorgonzola, which is fun. Works well too. Mouth: very nice combo, even if the wine is very prominent. The thing is, good Sauternes is not a 'winey' wine. Also a lot of smoke, tar, coal, liquorice and just tonnes of ashes. I have the impression they've kept pushing the ashy side in recent years at Ardbeg, have they not? The combination keeps working very well, despite this slight, err, sweetness. Good integration. Finish: medium long, with good balance between, say the honeyed apricots and the tarry ashes. No feeling of a disjointed whisky. Some medicinal notes in the aftertaste, cough syrup… Comments: very good drop.
SGP:656 - 87 points. |
|
Ardbeg 13 yo 2010/2023 (61.3%, OB, Private Single Cask, Second fill oloroso sherry butt, cask #1944, 578 bottles)
Will this one be a kerosene-y 'beg, at this strength? Colour: full gold. Nose: the DNA is there, it's not been altered, there's a lot of crushed slate and charcoal mixed with seawater and a little green walnut wine. Touches of turpentine and linseed oil too, also root vegetables, beets, parsnips, celeriac… We always love these. No signs of kerosene, by the way, or is it me? With water: bandages, stewed spinach (yep), hard-boiled eggs (no big S though), leaven, seaweed, beach sand at low tide, tarmac… Mouth (neat): great, just great. It makes me happy to try this little monster that, in truth, would take no prisoners. Rather a lot of green pepper too but water might be needed as early as now… With water: superb Ardbeg, with these perfect lemons that are roaming most versions of the 'Ten', with a much cleaner profile now that water's been added. Perfect tar, peppers, lemons indeed, pine and verbena liqueurs (they almost always work in tandem IMHO). Finish: long, with the ultimate signature, pink grapefruit. Comments: proof that whisky can be both complex and high-def. Perfect young Ardbeg, are they all like this one? Was it Mickey Heads?
SGP:657 - 92 points. |
Well, I thought we were going to have magnificent independents that would totally crush the official NAS releases. Not too sure, let's move on... |
|
Secret Islay 2009/2023 'They Inspired – Bert Vuik' (53.3%, Michiel Wigman, 'A Rare Dram But Extremely Good', sherry, 238 bottles)
An extraordinary person on the label (and another in the background). Undoubtedly the first true collector and connoisseur of Ardbeg, leaving absolutely no doubt about the origin of this little gem: it's Mannochmore (hey, we can have a laugh, can't we?) Cheers and hugs, Bert! Colour: white wine. Nose: forget the sherry, for now this is an extremely pure, precise Ardbeg, with a wonderful softness built around oil paint, shells, graphite, and fireplace ashes. With water: fresh country bread at five o'clock in the morning (okay, six) and a platter of Islay oysters, plus soaked virgin wool, Islay mud and certainly a good dose of lanolin. A hint of a new pullover. Mouth (neat): taut as a bow, lemony and brimming with ashes and green pepper. Could that be olive oil in the background? With water: proof that Ardbeg can indeed show a softer side. Very ripe apple, salt, more oysters, our friends the winkles, old paint, grapefruit… Finish: long and both oily and taut at the same time, which is unusual, I admit. Comments: just avoid adding too much water, and in this case, for me it easily scores...
SGP:667 - 92 points. |
|
Islay Region 5 yo 2017/2023 (60.2%, Douglas Laing's Single Minded, for World of Whisky Waldhaus, Switzerland, refill barrel, cask #DL17749, 258 bottles)
Two generations of Bernasconis on the label! Let's remember that the Waldhaus am See in St Moritz, Switzerland, houses one of the, if not the most famous and extensive whisky bars in the world. I take this opportunity to wish a fantastic birthday to the engaging Claudio Bernasconi, who celebrates his 70th this month! Of course, we have an Ardbeg in the glass, and I'm delighted, especially since it's rare to find one this young that isn't NAS and fiddled with using improbable casks and outlandish stories. Well, well… Colour: very pale white wine (Swiss wine, ha-ha just kidding). Nose: totally on ashes, wet flour, yeasts, and cider. With water: pure Ardbeg, acrid smoke, fireplace, campfire, old car exhaust pipe. It reminds me of those wonderful Swiss cars, the Monteverdis. Mouth (neat): if you've ever tasted Ardbeg's new make, it's a bit like that. It's admirable that the bottlers haven't tried to disguise it with improbable casks. Beautiful tension on lemons, the sea, bread dough, oysters, and smoked fish, it also almost feels, at times; like gin flavoured with peat smoke (yes, yes, that's a positive comment in this context). With water: back to a lemony, tarry, and salty new make. Finish: an avalanche of ashes. An ashtray after a Cigar Club meeting, if you see what I mean. Comments: if they have many casks like this one and if everyone has the patience to wait another twenty years, it's going to be magical. For now, it's magnificent but of course, a bit young, just like Mr. Claudio B.. An understatement. Come on, we love it…
SGP:568 - 87 points. |
|
Kommunen Schnaps 'Vol. 6' (55.9%, Private, Garrison Brothers bourbon barrel, 90 bottles, 2024)
When you spot the Kildalton Cross on a label, rest assured it's not Glenkinchie. And if you see a VW Kombi, the bottler is either Californian or German. Colour: gold. Nose: it has the slightly rugged edge of the 2017, but there's also a soft coat of sweetness brought by the bourbon casks. This leads more towards medicinal syrups, herbal notes (juniper, pine needles), and bitter orange marmalade. There's still plenty of tar and, above all, those legendary 'tarry ropes'. With water: smoked marzipan and cigarette ashes! Mouth (neat): very compact, full-on with pine bud liqueur and fresh rubber, tar, and Corsican citron liqueur. It's massive and not very complicated, but it's very comforting, like an old Deep Purple track. 'Nobody gonna take my car, I'm gonna race it to the ground...' Yes, well... With water: now it's truly perfect. Wonderful notes of smoked and salted chocolate. You should try this. Finish: very long. Comments: this is a young, conquering Ardbeg. I fear it might be impossible to find, which is a shame because it ticks all the boxes. I love it and have always dreamed of owning a VW Kombi painted in psychedelic colours. You're right, a boomer's fantasy. Peace and Love!
SGP:567 - 90 points. |
|
Kildalton 15 yo 2008/2023 (57.6%, Whiskynaut, sherry butt, cask #5530)
It says 'since 1815' so it is either Laphroaig (year controversial) or Ardbeg (apparently nobody ever cared). The name 'Kildalton' should give it away, as I believe it is, indeed, officially Ardbeg's 'trade name'. Colour: straw. Nose: surprisingly lighter, more on herbal teas and yeasts, that famous old tweed jacket that has seen so many winters, fresh wool, roots (do wild carrots grow on Islay?), with a few touches of mild horseradish and gentian. 'Gentian' is a magical word at Château WF. With water: nature after the rain. Earth, plants, shrubs, beach, radishes... Mouth (neat): simply superb. Lemon, ashes, liquorice, celery, fresh walnut. Perfect texture. With water: younger, fresher, more fruity. Quinine, bitter orange, walnuts, I suppose that's the sherry talking. Who would complain? Finish: long, lively, almost cheerful for Ardbeg. A bit of glue and varnish in the aftertaste. Comments: a lovely dialogue between the malt and the sherry. Once again, go easy on the water.
SGP:576 - 89 points. |
Well, I believe we'll be back tomorrow with more Ardbeg. |
(Merci Logan, merci Patrick) |
| |
May 22, 2024 |
|
|
WF's Little Duos, today indie sherried young Aberlour
It is one of the few distilleries where we taste many more official releases than independent bottlings. A bit like Lagavulin, really. Yet we'll have two indies today…
(Classic print ad from the 1970s. All malts were using more or less the same angles.)
|
 |
|
Aberlour 12 yo 2012/2024 (48.2%, Signatory Vintage, Small Batch #9, 1st fill oloroso sherry butts)
A relatively recent series, seemingly well-regarded across various quarters. Colour: amber gold. Nose: classic sherry, walnut cake, dark ale, and a hint of molasses, followed by a generous array of dates and toffee. very well-balanced, excellently constructed around the sherry profile. Mouth: quite spicy at the outset, with notable ginger, nutmeg, and grey pepper… the toffee then gracefully joins in, accompanied by a sweeter sherry (noticeably sweeter than the usual oloroso). One cannot help but think of A'bunadh, but here there is a touch more citrus, featuring blood oranges and a hint of Szechuan pepper. Finish: fairly long, with a persistent woody and chocolatey character. a subtle café-kirsch note lingers in the aftertaste, adding a pleasant complexity. Comments: a rather spicy and fairly modern interpretation of an Aberlour 'sherry'. Nothing to fault, it certainly does the job.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
|
Aberlour 11 yo 2011/2022 (55.9%, Blackadder, Raw Cask, PX sherry cask, cask #22, 290 bottles)
Colour: dark gold. Nose: this expression is all about walnuts, mustard sauce, oxidation, Malaga, old figs, beef, and dried ham... It's pure sherry, which I greatly appreciate. Adding a few drops of water brings out a subtle earthy note. Think flowering plant soil, tobacco, leather, and a touch of umami... Mouth (neat): really quite Malaga! Raisins and mustard, a cascade of nuts (both old and fresh), and an abundance of PX. Then, it becomes much spicier with cardamom, nutmeg, pepper... It's quite forceful, almost aggressively so. With water: a slight vinegar touch, dried fruits, pickles, and a hint of cedarwood... Finish: long, rather taut, with a touch of vinegar again (balsamic), bitter chocolate, and clove... Plenty of PX lingering in the aftertaste. Comments: it's more complex than the 2012, but also a bit wild and even somewhat unruly. Very good, in any case.
SGP:461 - 84 points. |
| |
May 21, 2024 |
|
|
Some Springbank to celebrate… well, Springbank
Still a top-five distillery in my book. Let's choose three or four of them from the stash…
(Staves in the yard, 2005, WF Archive) |
 |
|
Springbank 5 yo 2017/2023 '100° proof' (57.1%, OB, Society Bottling, fresh bourbon, 2166 bottles)
One has fond memories of some very old Springbank 5-year-olds, the ones with black labels. Colour: white wine. Nose: oh the elegance of this distillate, even at an almost forbidden age. New tweed, virgin wool, lemon juice, paraffin, slag, basalt, and finally, strawberry candy. The latter should have disappeared after a few years, but at five, it remains. It's amusing. With water: more austere, with smoked tea, grape seed oil, plasticine, and quite a bit of charcoal. Mouth (neat): simply impeccable. Lemon, engine grease (not something we consume every day), various waxes, a drop of seawater, a bit of kiwi and rhubarb. Impeccable, truly. With water: softer, almost fruitier, with herbs and flowers—borage, pansies, nasturtiums. That's amusing too! Finish: rather long, truly fruity, it's almost moving when you know that this fruitiness will meld between, let's say, 5 and 10 years. Roughly speaking... Comments: it's a bit like a photo of an infant before he/she starts to really grow. A very beautiful photo, by the way.
SGP:652 - 88 points. |
|
Springbank 24 yo 1999/2024 (54.5%, Decadent Drinks, Westie Sponge 3, first fill sherry butt)
Probably the exact opposite to the awesome 5 yo. Colour: deep gold. Nose: right, it does start with a wee box of old matches, but those are the same matches you would find in any proper high-grade oloroso (or amontillado, or palo cortado). They would lead you to menthol and cough lozenges, citron liqueur, fresh moist black pipe tobacco, which in turn would lead to very old PX, VORS stuff and such, then cold cuts, goulash, crazy sausages, prunes and raisins, then the blackest potting soil and the craziest pudding. Or the other way 'round. With water: really something antique, it reminds me of those replica vintage cars, such as the Argentinian Bugattis 'Pur Sang' or those crazy Excaliburs from the 1980s. An old whisky made today. Chocolate, coffee, gravy, umami sauce. Mouth (neat): cream of Springbank. Root vegetables, thickest marmalade, truffle, chen-pi, a glutamatey side as well, Worcester sauce, some kind of sweeter balsamico, sloe liqueur… Is there really only one drink in my glass? With water: everything mingling together. I find dates particularly prominent. Finish: long, creamy, VORSy (what?). More gravy, liquorice, marmalade, dried figs this time… It became rounder and sweeter, while all matchsticks are gone, if I may say so. Which leads us to… drum roll… Christmas cake. Comments: huge personality, many asperities as we say, and something a little, but truly, decadent indeed. No Eurovision malt whisky, if you see what I mean (S., I'm sure they don't). And hurray for Spain! Quite a coup by the Sponge, while this series is slowly coming to an end. I'd bet the future will be even better (that'll be £10, Sponge).
SGP:662 - 93 points. |
Well, since we're not joking around, let's bring out the heavy artillery and steer clear of the more common (though very good) current productions… |
|
Springbank 1977/1993 'GO-DD' (53.9%, OB, cask #332, 335 bottles)
An official private bottling of old, not too sure about what 'GO-DD' exactly means or meant, I doubt this was a bottling for the Vatican, was it? What's sure is that 1977 is a pretty rare vintage. Colour: white wine. Nose: as soon as you encounter a Springbank that's not overwhelmed by the cask, you realise the distillate hasn't changed much over the years. Essentially, it's oily, waxy, lemony, maritime, with hints of petrol and damp chalk. In short, it could just as well be a 2007/2023, and that is fascinating. With water: here comes the virgin wool, clay, grapefruit peel, seaweed, and oyster shells. Mouth (neat): splendid, tense, lemony, always with wax, salt, oysters, engine oil, and paraffin... With water: even saltier and waxier. Wasn't there a secret underground passage between old Clynelish/Brora and Springbank? Yes, of course, I do have the geographical layout of Scotland in mind, why do you ask? Finish: fairly long, oily, still on beeswax, salt, oysters, lemon, a touch of petrol... Eternal Springbank, really. It's fascinating, as our Canadian friends would say. Comments: same league as that of the Sponge, but in a diametrically opposite style. I admit, I did it on purpose.
SGP:563 - 93 points. |
|
Springbank 28 yo 1966/1994 (55.6%, The Bottlers, cask #1018)
Another one that's ticking all the boxes. The Bottlers (#1 IB at MM when they were active), 1966 (think LB), plus the ideal age and the fact that a 1965 brother did extremely well a few years back here on WF. Colour: gold. Nose: I find it curiously resinous, but this should fade away… It is also extremely waxy, piney, you'd almost believe we're nosing some (lovely) Greek retsina. Really a lot of polish. The biggish resinous side is still there after fifteen minutes, unaltered. With water: old woods, fern, old stump, mosses, mushrooms… but there's also some wonderful nougat and old sweet wine. Not retsina. Mouth (neat): awesome waxes, orange cordials, and a side that really makes you think of some old Demerara rum that would have gone a little over the top. Was this Springer matured in the tropics? In the Scottish 'tropics', near Ullapool? I mean, do you know Inverewe Garden? With water: waxes, encaustic, menthol, old apples. Finish: rather long, more on apple peel. Comments: it might have been a bit tired when it was bottled, this doesn't resemble OBE at all. But it remains wonderful once you get past the woodiness. The old waxy notes are magnificent.
SGP:461 - 89 points. |
|
|
Are independent whiskies becoming more expensive? |
Many good people mention price differences between official malts and those from independents, with variations in both directions depending on the distilleries' reputation. As the saying goes, Springbank is not Mannochmore. Now it's important to remember that distilleries theoretically do not need to buy the whiskies they offer (although many have done so for their very old, highly prestigious malts). Larger independents mostly, if not entirely, purchase white whiskies, which they then age in their own casks. Here, too, the price is not the same, even if this practice seems to become less common, unfortunately. |
| Smaller independents, however, must buy their casks ready for bottling, which is significantly more expensive. To summarise, if a kilo of barley costs the same whether it's Springbank or Mannochmore, a 25-year-old Springbank cask is definitely not priced the same, whether you are the distillery's owning company or the independents of The Jolly Good Old Bottlers from John O'Groats. On the other hand, these Jolly Good Old Bottlers might offer you excellent young Mannochmore at a very good price! But don't blame them if their new Springbank is priced very high. |
| We will have to see how a potential new whisky loch might affect this situation. Rumour has it that 2.5 to 3 times more Scotch whisky is currently being distilled than is being sold. So, in 25 years, there could be some great deals! In theory, that is, because if India and China start increasing their consumption – India already does - our hopes as consumers might be dashed. On the other hand, this would be rather good news for all our friends. |
| |
May 20, 2024 |
|
|
Times are changing, with more and more distilleries now structuring their ranges around the world of wine, using more or less subtle finishings. Personally, I find it uninteresting from a both organoleptic and philosophical standpoint, but on the other hand, it can be fun and amusing. And we can clearly see that there are more and more enthusiasts of these styles... Perhaps they are right! It also seems that we are moving from renowned appellations (for example, Pomerol) to broad regions (Bordeaux) or even grape varietals (for example, Merlot), the casks being probably much cheaper. Oh, and what was that old saying about 'grapes and grains' again? Now, remember there were some excellent recent Glencadams, such as the 25 yo 'Remarkable' or the 19 oloroso, or the 15 oloroso, or just the plain 15 that's wonderful. |
We had to resort to artificial intelligence because
such a wine doesn't exist in real life.
Our sincerest apologies.
(The Management) |
|
Glencadam 'Reservé de Bordeaux Merlot Wine Cask Finish' (46%, OB, +/-2023) 
I really don't want to split hairs again but I'm afraid the word 'Reservé' does not exist in French. It's either 'réserve' or 'réservé'. Colour: white wine. Quite pale for a Merlot. Nose: strawberry, ripe damson, prunes, flavoured beer, cherry, then cakes, muffins, scones... It's decent, it's 'transgenre', why not! Mouth: premix, fruit juice and young malt whisky. Young Pineau des Charentes. Finish: medium, fruity. Dried figs, strawberries, walnut cake. Comments: it's alright. One would never drink this regularly, but for a tasting, it's not too terrible, even though we'd prefer a good blend.
SGP:651 - 74 points. |
It might be a secret plan of the whisky industry, making us appreciate blends in comparison with these NAS malts flavoured with little wines. It's very clever, it might just work! |
|
Glencadam 'Reservé de Burgundy Pinot Noir Wine Cask Finish' (46%, OB, +/-2023)
I suppose they mean either 'Réserve de Bourgogne' or 'Burgundy Reserve'. Even ChatGPT wouldn't come up with 'Reservé de Burgundy'. This sounds like the name of a monk in 'The Name of the Rose' by Umberto Eco. Colour: pale gold. Nose: it's not too bad, better than the Merlot, less on the jammy side and more on leaves, buds, and even the proverbial cherry... But don't expect Chambertin. Mouth: the return of stewed red fruits and cherry stalks as herbal tea. Some Belgian kriek. Finish: medium, fruity, rather balanced. A hint of blackcurrant bud. Comments: it's not bad. The main point, as with the Merlot, is that there's no real clash, thanks to the relative neutrality of the malt used.
SGP:651 - 76 points. |
|
Glencadam 'Reserva PX Pedro Ximénez Sherry Cask Finish' (46%, OB, +/-2023) 
They got it aaaall right this time! And well done for accentuating the first 'E' in Ximénez, generally everyone forgets it (especially us at WF). Colour: amber. Nose: this is much more classic, feeling far less about flavouring, and that's undoubtedly because we're already very accustomed to PX in our whiskies. After all, fortified wines are quite different from table wines (no kidding, S.?). Walnut wine, raisins, dried figs, blackcurrant liqueur, guignolet… It seems sweet but also quite pleasant. The palate will reveal the truth… Mouth: very sweet, very fruity, indeed very sugary, one wonders how much PX was left in the cask after the obligatory (yeah right) rinsing. Lots of white chocolate, then sweets and honey. Finish: quite long but it's the PX that does the job. Cherry liqueur in the aftertaste. One might wonder if they bought stocks of cherry liqueur from Eastern Europe? Comments: it feels a bit like PX re-fortified with malt whisky, but I find it quite enjoyable. To be served over two scoops of vanilla ice cream?
SGP:741 - 80 points. |
Perhaps an indie – and kings of finishing too. |
|
Glencadam 10 yo 2012/2023 (46%, Murray McDavid, Benchmark, Koval Bourbon Cask finish, 919 bottles)
Looks like quite a few ex-Koval casks have been brokered in Scotland in recent years. Colour: white wine. Nose: pleasant, quite fresh and fruity, with honey, fresh brioche, cereals, hints of pear cake, tarte tatin, very ripe apples, and equally ripe apricots... All these elements blend well together, with a firm and straight structure leaning towards green pepper and cinnamon. That must be the Koval influence. Mouth: it's really good, quite easy-going, not complicated, just a tad sweet, but with lovely notes of tarte tatin again, maple syrup, custard, some sultanas, nougat, and just a hint of 'grain whisky and white pepper', likely from the bourbon. Finish: nice length, sweetness, biscuits, honey, ripe pears, and a little icewine touch at the very end, with more white pepper too. Indeed, wine seems to be with us today. Comments: really nice, easy, enjoyable... and superior.
SGP:651 - 84 points. |
| |
May 19, 2024 |
|
|
|
|
A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
Dominican, Martiniquais, and Jamaican rums, along with a few from other countries |
We'll start with a small procrastinatory aperitif. We've been putting off this moment for a long time...
Picture: in 2016 Barceló announced that they were the first rum to achieve carbon neutral status based on 'The Bilan Carbone license'. |
 |
Well, I discovered that the rum 'Two Drifters', distilled near Exeter in England and available on EasyJet, was actually even 'carbon negative' according to the 'Climeworks' label. They collaborate with Carbfix, who turn the captured CO2 into stone and store it underground. We need to try Two Drifters! BTW, Flor de Caña just announced that they were the world's first spirit to be both carbon neutral and fair trade certified. Now Pernod's Absolut is carbon neutral too, apparenlly. One wonders, however, if in light of these examples, it is not necessary to produce spirits with a very neutral taste to achieve such 'carbon neutral' status. |
|
Barcelo 'Gran Anejo' (37.5%, OB, Dominican Republic, +/-2023) 
So they say they're carbon neutral. We found the plain 'Anejo' extremely poor the last time we sampled it (WF 15) but given that this one is a 'Gran Anejo', our expectations are slightly elevated. Colour: gold. Nose: we often mock Bumbu, Don Papa, or Diplomatico, but at least those 'rums' have some flavour. Here, there is almost nothing, save for a hint of medicinal alcohol and liquid caramel. I doubt this little expression is intended to be savoured on its own; it likely needs a boost from Coke or Red Bull. Moreover, the term 'savour' seems rather anachronistic in this context. Mouth: seriously, this should be served over ice. On its own, it's quite dreadful, somewhat sweet, alcoholic, with rather vulgar flavours. We might say rotting Brussels sprouts and old turnips cooked in beet sugar syrup. Finish: short, which is the good news, but the aftertaste is rather unpleasant, requiring a large glass of sparkling water to cleanse it away. Comments: to be honest, the very low alcohol content itself did not bode well. Neutral on all accounts.
SGP:220 - 25 points. |
|
Mhoba 'American Oak' (43%, OB, South Africa, +/-2022) 
This pure cane juice rum was finished in South African whisky casks, likely ex-Three Ships. Intriguingly, the new rum is initially matured in large demijohns fitted with charred American oak staves, before being transferred to these whisky casks. Colour: deep gold. Nose: the whole world now knows that Mhoba can be pretty fantastic and this is just more evidence. It slightly resembles a very good young high ester rum in the style of Savanna, just a tad softer. Diesel oil, olives, overripe bananas, a hint of graphite, liquorice, roots… Mouth: perhaps a little more chaotic than on the nose, less precise than the rather formidable cask strength version for LMDW that we tasted in January, but still lovely, fairly funky as they say, but with some burnt notes, beyond the saline or even maritime aspect. Finish: fairly long, saline, still a bit burnt and woody. Some smokiness in the aftertaste. Comments: nothing to complain about, it's good, but perhaps the reduction to a low proof doesn't quite suit it, which, in my opinion, is the case with almost all spirits heavily marked by wood ageing. The single casks rather tend to score around 85 – 87 points in our modest lists.
SGP:352 - 79 points. |
|
Nicaragua 12 yo (43%, Cane Island, Single Estate, +/-2022)
The precise origin of this rum is a secret, but between us, does it really matter? What's amusing is that this rum is significantly more expensive than Flor de Cana of the same age. Colour: dark gold. Nose: oh, but this is not bad at all, with orange juice, an agricole character, multifloral honey, maple syrup, very ripe bananas and pineapples… Really quite good! Mouth: there's a sweet edge to it, it has probably been enhanced, which is a pity because the nose was truly beautiful. On the palate, it veers towards syrup and liquid caramel, while the background hints at sugarcane, orange, and honey. What a shame (though I could be mistaken, perhaps no 'liqueur' was added after all?) Finish: it's always the finishes that are tricky with spirits enhanced with sugar. It's somewhat cloying, moderately so. A pity, as it was a lovely juice. Comments: I suppose this is the taste the public prefers.
SGP:730 - 77 points. |
|
Rhum J.M 'Epices Créoles' (46%, OB, Martinique, Atelier des Rhums, 2023)
Be aware, one might think this is a spiced or flavoured rum, but it's not. Or rather, it is, but they've done it by intensifying the wood, so we're talking about a young rum boosted with hyperactive wood (French and American oak). It's quite in the style of modern J.M rums, I believe. And much like many contemporary malt whiskies, deforestation doesn't seem to be a concern for distillers worldwide. Right, perhaps they're right… Colour: dark gold. Nose: we must admit, it works very well on the nose. Mango, geranium, jasmine, mandarin peel (chen-pi), prickly pear jam, manuka honey… In short, on the nose, yes, it works very well. Mouth: they've found a trick. I'm not entirely fond of the idea, but I must admit the result is quite impressive, with this combination of fruit jams and that majestic Szechuan pepper. Lots of juicy peaches, white, yellow… And a bit of our friend caraway. Finish: good length, more on spices, nutmeg and, once again, chen-pi (hi, Gene). It's only in the aftertaste that a bit of wood shavings appears. Comments: really very nice.
SGP:650 - 86 points. |
|
Romero & Sons 1973 (51.8%, Flensburg Rum Company, Kirsch Imports, Ecuador, cask #22, 212 bottles, 2021)
We've already tried a sister cask last year and thought it was very good, despite, or perhaps because of its funny story. It seems that the casks have been topped-up over the years. Colour: deep gold. Nose: very soft, gently cakey, with a little cappuccino and a whole box of Hershey's assorted chocolates (the Christmas version). With water: a floral side, broom and gorse… Mouth (neat): really good. I cannot not think of the best batches of Santiago de Cuba, even is Santiago is ex-molasses and column, while this is ex-cane honey and bespoke pot still. More cake, orange liqueur, honeys, verbena… With water: Jaffa cakes, pancake sauce, more orange liqueur. Finish: medium, easy, with a lighter structure. Comments: a gentle old rum with attitude – and altitude, as it was stored in the high mountains for some time. I believe cask #36 had a little more oomph.
SGP:431 - 85 points. |
|
Lluidas Vale 10 yo 2012/2023 (63.9%, Whisky Concerto, Requiem Chapter 5, Jamaica)
Labelled Lluidas Vale but of course, it's Worthy Park. We'll need to be cautious with the lethal alcohol strength. Colour: gold. Nose: this is a rather gentle WP at first glance, but at this strength, it's hard to detect many aromas. Let's fix that immediately. With water: we're really getting tar and rubber (new tyres), plus a load of salted liquorice straight from the Netherlands. I do mean salted liquorice, not another well-known Amsterdam specialty. Mouth (neat): lovely aromatic power this time. Vanilla flan topped with mangoes. Little funkiness at this stage. With water: we're edging a bit towards light style Hampden now, but of course, it's not Hampden. Beautiful fruitiness, tinned apricots and peaches, some white pepper… Finish: long, fruity and salty, with a hint of seawater. Still a lot of pepper and ripe peach in the aftertaste. Comments: it's a rather mild Jamaican for once, I imagine it was a 'lower' mark from Worthy Park. Of course, we like it a lot.
SGP:652 – 88 points. |
|
Vale Royal 17 yo 2005/2022 'VRW' (61%, Velier & Silver Seal Serie Cedro, Jamaica, 193 bottles)
This is Long Pond with the marque standing for 'Vale Royal Wedderburn'. So, a rather moderate ester content here, around 200-250 gr/HLPA. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it's powerful and very aromatic despite the very high alcohol level. One might mention charcoal and a new pair of Nike trainers, plus freshly grated turmeric. It's quite unusual. With water: magnificent notes of wood glue, varnish, and still those brand-new Nike trainers just out of the box (and possibly fallen off the back of a lorry, as they say). Touches of thuja wood. Mouth (neat): massive, with fruit brandies and woody spices. Extremely powerful, it slightly scrapes the palate but water should sort that out. With water: the fruits arrive en masse, all largely overripe. The ubiquitous bananas, for instance, and half-crushed strawberries. Lots of cinnamon and clove. Finish: very long, a bit rubbery and metallic. Pink bananas and those famous Nike trainers. Comments: a somewhat improbable side but we totally love it. You could replace Nike with any other brand selling plastic at the price of platinum.
SGP:562 - 90 points. |
We absolutely must finish with a Hampden, but we'll do it quickly… |
|
Hampden 23 yo 2000/2024 'LROK' (59.3%, The Rum Cask)
Good distillery, good marque, good bottler, what could possibly go wrong? Colour: straw. Nose: twelve litres of wood glue, seven kilos of green olives, plenty of seawater, a few gherkins, a fair amount of diesel oil, and an entire barrel of tar. The most astonishing part is that it's elegant, even if there's a slight hint of Saturday morning at IKEA. With water: absolutely no change, this baby is immune to water. Mouth (neat): these casks are always quite extraordinary. Lemon, olives, tar, salt, varnish. With water: exceptional. Salty varnish (yes), black olives, lemon, grapefruit, salted liquorice, and a touch of mezcal. Finish: long, with hints of salted pineapple and Parma ham. Comments: and to think that LROK is a 'light' marque in esters from Hampden's (it means Light Rhum Owen Kelly).
SGP:653 - 91 points. |
Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far |
|
|
Rum versus Whisky |
Having tasted over two thousand rums of all kinds, and likely three to four tonnes of added sugar in the process, we realise that unfortunately, there is no correlation between the selling price and quality in rum, whereas there tends to be in whisky, even if in whisky the correlation is totally and sadly exponential. |
| We've also observed another significant difference between the rum and whisky worlds: the range of our scoring scale is much broader in rum, which actually peaks higher on average and dips much lower. If we discount vintage bottles or spirits aged 35 years or more, there are clearly and proportionately more rums scoring between 90 - 93 points than whiskies, with Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Guadeloupe leading the charge. However, there are also many more rums scoring under 50 points, some perilously close to absolute zero, according to my personal tastes as a rather seasoned spirits enthusiast. |
| Yet, what's also troubling in the rum sector is that the worst, the most inferior 'rums' are the most successful, the most profitable. Granted, many are not true rums, they are just advertised as rums by most retailers, lying by proxy being highly effective (thanks again, Google). Those are the brands that the big players are buying up. The best-selling whisky blends remain far superior to the best-selling rums, in my humble opinion. But as soon as we start to tickle the pot stills or the creole columns, the trend reverses and the grand rums begin to dangerously dominate the top of our modest little rankings, followed by the cognacs and armagnacs from certain small houses. |
| I'm actually starting to seriously consider whether to open more slots for these malternatives on WF. Or not, we shall see. Peace and salute! |
| |
May 18, 2024 |
|
|
|
Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and
skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland
Some Laphroaig,
for my son
Last week we welcomed our son, Arthur MacRaild, into the world and our family. If it's ok with you, we'll mark the occasion by indulging in a few celebratory notes from my favourite distillery: Laphroaig. |
 |
|
|
Laphroaig comes in for quite a bit of flak these days, and there's much about what the current owners do with it that I'm not too sure about to be honest, but the core distillate remains excellent. Most importantly the standard 10 year old is still a whisky which I find both pleasurable and evocative to drink in a pub or social setting.
Laphroaig was also my Dad's favourite dram, and the whisky that put the hook in me for whisky enthusiasm more broadly. I have no idea whether my kids, Molly and Arthur, will give two figs about whisky as they grow up, but as a very lucky and very happy dad, I'm hopeful and thrilled to toast their future with my favourite malt. |
|
|
|
First up is a what I consider a pretty provocative official bottling. On the rear label it says: |
|
|
"Our first Elements edition explores experimentation with mashing and fermentation styles to reveal an unexpected new dimension to our signature style… Using two different types of wort and mashing in old and new style tuns, Elements 1.0 finely tunes the process to create a non-chill filtered, 100% Islay malt with greater tropical fruit notes, without losing any of signature phenolic and maritime peatiness." |
|
|
This is quite fascinating to me as I have spent pretty much the entirety of my short whisky career making noise about fermentation as an agent of character in Scotch Whisky. |
|
|
We have also, more broadly as malt enthusiasts, been talking about this faded - or 'missing' - tropical fruit character in Islay single malts, for years now. Indeed, tropical fruits are arguably most famously associated with Bowmore and Laphroaig makes from the 1960s and 1950s; if you want to pinpoint exotic fruits and their most vivid manifestations in Scotch whisky, it's hard not to invoke these distilleries and decades. |
|
|
|
So, to see this distillery's official owners adopting this language explicitly and associating it in the same sentence as something as geeky as mashing and fermentation is pretty revealing in my view. This isn't something that would have happened 10-15 years ago. It makes me wonder whether the cumulative weight of discussion in our culture about the phenomena of older style production characteristics and flavour profiles is beginning to be noticed, and perhaps even responded to, in these companies? |
|
|
But, let's check the whisky itself and see if it isn't just marketing doublespeak… |
|
|
 |
Laphroaig Elements 1.0 (58.6%, OB, 2023) 
Colour: pale gold. Nose: I find it quite obviously 'Laphroaig' but in a more modern way than an old style way. It's more about the medicines, TCP, iodine and seashore characteristics. I would not say this is in the same arena as the tropical fruit bombs of the 1960s and 1970s. Having said that I do love the rather intricate mix of bandages and medicines, increasingly complicated coastal, mineral and seashore qualities and rather brusque, punchy salinity. It's a very good Laphroaig with a clear voice! With water: very much on seawater, sandalwood, mineral salts, brine and anchovy paste. Perhaps some pretty sharp citrus fruits too. |
|
|
Mouth: reminds me of a good older batch of the Cask Strength 10yo without too much intense wood influence. Wet rocks, kelp, hessian, raw iodine, oyster sauce and a wee glimmer of pink grapefruit. Very classical and classy in other words, close to the familiar modern house style I would say. Getting extremely umami, coastal and salty, with a superbly brittle and sharp peat smoke beneath everything. With water: becomes thicker, broader and more to do with camphor, tar, mineral oils, hessian and thicker peat smoke notes, although still lots of iodine and impressions of kelp and kippers. Extremely classical Laphroaig really. Finish: long, peppery, warming, tarry and peaty! Comments: I find this really excellent, but I also don't think it demonstrates what it claims to - I don't find it a particularly fruity whisky I have to say. To me this is an excellent modern Laphroaig that foregrounds the distillate and distillery character without any overt or vulgar wood that cloys or gets in the way of things. I don't detect overt tropical fruits, and perhaps that says something about the distinction between my own impressions - and expectations - of fruity Laphroaig, and those of the owners/producers. What it really leaves me with is the desire to talk to the people responsible for this whisky and ask them their own views on it and about their original motivations and methods. As it stands, I think it's a very good modern Laphroaig that is better than quite a few of the recent 10yo cask strength batches in my view; even if there's a lingering frustration that it's also another NAS bottling that reveals little about its inherent DNA or construction.
SGP: 467 - 88 points. |
|
|
 |
Laphroaig 10 yo (43%, OB, Spirit import, 70cl, early 1990s) 
This shouldn't take too long, these batches are 'well kent'… Colour: gold. Nose: gorgeous, creamy, layered peat smoke that has a tangible fatness and feeling of texture about it. Underneath that those familiar things like dried mango, pink grapefruit, smoked and herbal teas and wee glimmers of passion fruit and kumquat. Pure class! Mouth: very focussed on tea, that is smoked teas like Lapsing Souchong, but also green tea with lemon, exotic fruit teas and herbal teas. I wonder where this impression comes from? There's also beach foam, hessian cloth, aniseed and anchovy paste. Very savoury and showing a beautifully, dry and complex peat smoke flavour. Finish: long, peat, elegantly drying, herbal and with more dried exotic fruits throughout. Comments: all present and correct! What witchcraft was afoot in these days?
SGP: 566 - 91 points. |
|
|
 |
Laphroaig 10 yo (43%, OB, 1 litre, early 1990s)
This one should take even less time, in theory… Colour: gold. Nose: same profile, but perhaps even fruitier! Slightly less of this creamy and fat impression, and more on brightness, sharp fruits, tropical notes, wee crisp peat smoke and crushed seashell impressions. Love it! Mouth: wonderful 'total engagement', which is to say a profile that satisfies every craving: salty, fruity, sweet, smoky and also texturally impressive. In short: dried exotic fruits, saline coastal freshness, rich peat smoke and many subtle umami complexities that involve green olive, capers in brine, anchovy paste, iodine, camphor and seawater. In truth, we could probably have cut and paste the above note for the Spirit Import 10 yo, but of course that would be outrageous cheating! And it would have deprived us of tasting this one too. Finish: even longer, but notably saltier and drier, salt cured fish, brine, bone-dry peat smoke, pink sea salt and grapefruit acidity. Comments: such deadly whiskies these old Laphroaigs, they should probably be illegal.
SGP: 566 - 92 points. |
|
|
 |
Laphroaig 27 yo (51.2%, Elixir Distillers 'Director's Special', 1st fill barrel, 210 bottles, 2024)
Colour: deep orangey gold. Nose: we aren't too far away from the old 10 in many regards. Lots of tangerine, grapefruit and lemon, a feeling of smoked citrus fruits, crystallised citrus peels, smoked mead, smoked olive oil, lots of lovely things that have been gentle smoked with peat essentially. Evolves with more focus on medicinal embrocations, bandages, kiln smoke, Maggi seasoning, hessian cloth and a background oak spiciness. With water: sharper, more coastal, more mine ral and also a little more sooty with hints of charcoal alongside beach pebbles. rock pools and dried seaweed. Mouth: you do feel the age here with a little assertiveness from the oak, but the peat holds out rather remarkably with some beautiful peppery and salty notes, lots of familiar tarry flavours, dry phenolics, aniseed and salted liquorice. Add to that some smoked beers, more hessian and tarred rope. With water: excellent! Claws back this assertive salty side, with some further notes of juniper, tea tree oil and camphor. A few distant notes of dried exotic fruits such as mango and pineapple too. Those various teas are all back as well. Finish: long, nicely salty and drying with soy sauce, tar, pickled tarragon and iodine. Comments: totally excellent mature Laphroaig that shows its age in a very attractive fashion. Only these ever so slight hints of oak spiciness will prevent me going higher.
SGP: 466 - 90 points. |
|
|
 |
Islay 30 yo 1991/2022 (51.4%, Signatory Vintage for Wu Dram Clan '3rd Anniversary Collection', cask #2674, bourbon barrel, 237 bottles)
Ah yes, cask #2674, I have strong recollections of being in the Signatory Warehouses and rejecting this cask myself… ;) Xxx Colour: straw. Nose: these batches are just unbeatable. What I love is that they nose younger than 30yo, while still managing to display a lot of the kind of deep complexity that peated whisky can only accrue with age. So, in other words, super fresh and super complex! Which in this case is many coastal notes of pebbles, rock pools and seaweed, alongside bandages, squid ink, soy sauce, eucalyptus oil and a gorgeous, layered peat smoke. There's also some very familiar Laphroaig notes of TCP and iodine coming through loud and clear. A little sharp citrus too. With water: thick, crystalline peat smoke. Kiln air, kippers drizzled with lemon juice and shellfish broth. Also still powerfully medicinal. Mouth: superbly briny, salty, sharp and precise! Hugely coastal, hyper fresh and subdividing into dry peat smoke, wood ashes, crushed seashells, tar, black olives in brine and anchovy paste. Incredible salty, savoury profile! With water: the same powerful combination of saltiness, peat smoke, citrus and medicine, but now gathers fatness, texture and oiliness in the mouth. An impression of smoked olive oil cut with pickling brine. You could probably make some kind of dizzyingly silly dirty martini with this whisky. Finish: very long, extremely salty, medicinal, pure and stunningly peaty. Comments: those impatient Germans, this would perhaps have been ready by 40 years old. I am of course kidding. A great selection and probably a bottle to tuck away for 20-30 years of bottle ageing. Stunning old 'Islay single malt' that seems to combine the power and liveliness of a 10yo with the complexity of a 30yo.
SGP: 467 - 92 points. |
|
|
 |
Laphroaig 10 yo (91.4 US proof, OB, Carlton Import USA, 1960s)
From a bottle recently coughed up out of the USA, apparently with a low fill level… Colour: pale amber. Nose: what to say? An extraordinarily pure and deep aromatic peat profile, how you might imagine a slab of 3000 year old bog, smouldering on a plate would smell. But there's also medicinal roots, dried herbs, ancient liqueurs of various type, crystallised orange rind, bergamot, wintergreen and preserved exotic fruits. I find it very close in profile to the old 14yo OB bottling from the 1950s with this harmonious intertwining of peat, sherry and complicated tertiary notes. Mouth: it has probably softened somewhat with the lower fill level in this bottle, but the power and charisma of the peat flavour is still astonishing. Deep, broad, rooty, organic, herbal, vegetal, coastal and medical all at the same time. The sort of whisky that rips up and completely re-draws your internal mental assumptions about peat flavour. I also forgot to mention some stunning dried out old honey and honeycomb notes, also hessian, ink, pure tar extracts and this encroaching, utterly stunning saltiness, like peat smoked sea salt! One of these whiskies that leads the way and leaves you scrabbling to keep up… Finish: extremely long and profoundly deep, warm and glowing with old, dry, earthy peat. Comments: the label on this one says 'The richest whisky made' - no marketing double speak there! Slante, Arthur.
SGP: 566 - 95 points. |
|
|
Big hugs to Mark, Phil and KC! |
|
|
| |
May 16, 2024 |
|
|
A further selection of high-level grain only
We wrote an unnecessary and far too lengthy introduction yesterday, so we'll avoid that today. Especially since we're starting with some Invergordon de la muerte… Well, we hope so. |
 |
|
Invergordon 50 yo 1973/2023 (49.8%, Alambic Classique, Rare Old, Ex-Cuba rum barrel, cask #23026, 128 bottles)
Goodness, 50-year-old grain. The finishing in Cuban rum is intriguing, given that we often find soft rum notes in old grains, even when there has been no contact. Colour: pale gold. Nose: well, I do detect soft rum, but I can't tell you if: 1. It comes from the old grain, 2. It's from the Cuban rum cask, 3. It's a result of both. Who knows. There's clearly some sugar cane juice, a very, very slight benzine note, a few spruce hints, then it becomes increasingly dry on the nose, almost earthy. Lovely structure for a grain, but let's not forget it's an Invergordon. Mouth: Invergordon, in my opinion, is the Scottish grain whisky that's closest to a malt. Perhaps they use a good proportion of malted barley. Orange liqueur, fir bud liqueur, caraway, again a slight petroly touch, rutabaga (yes, really), a hint of cane syrup… But it remains generally dry. Finish: medium length, more on orange liqueur and a bit of ginger. Shall we mention Apérol Spritz? Too late, we did. Also, a tiny bit of tar. Comments: its fifty years suit it perfectly, a true uebergrain. Thanks to the Cubans?
SGP:652 - 88 points. |
Shall we try a young one for contrast? |
|
Invergordon 17 yo 2007/2024 (61.4%, Fadandel.dk, refill bourbon barrel, cask #300864, 136 bottles)
Just checking the insurance policy for WF Towers… All good, let's proceed. Colour: white wine. Nose: indeed, acetone, ammonia, nail polish, Granny Smith apples, and green pears, plus ripe banana and vanilla. We won't take too many chances, but it seems quite promising, even without water. With water: enormous viscimetry, it's getting almost opaque. Anyway, this nose confirms the impression of a quasi-malt that we almost always get with Invergordon. Café au lait, cigarillos, chocolate, crème brûlée, and a touch of vegetables. White asparagus, perhaps, let's hurry, we're nearing the end of the season. Mouth (neat): very creamy, almost syrupy. 50% cane syrup and 50% good old family-made limoncello. With water: we're moving towards bourbon but also malted rye. It's quite fun. Rustic bread spread with molasses and dulce de leche. Finish: long, quite dry, and malty! Ovaltine in the aftertaste. Comments: certainly top-tier for a young grain whisky.
SGP:661 - 87 points. |
Another Invergordon, please... |
|
Invergordon 36 yo 1987/2024 (65.5%, Frank McHardy's Signature Reserve, 223 bottles)
Did you know that Frank McHardy began his whisky career at Invergordon Distillery? But that's no reason to send us this little whisky that could launch a SpaceX rocket without the slightest risk of failure (though an explosion, certainly). No, but seriously, is this kind of ABV even legal? We're jesting, but has anyone actually checked that? Colour: pale gold. Nose: not much, and that's normal. Coconut and vanillin. With water: it becomes very gentle, white chocolate, popcorn, and buttercream. Mouth (neat): coffee, orange liqueur, varnish. I repeat, coffee, orange liqueur, varnish. With water: ah, there we go, a mix of orange liqueur and model glue (remember that when we refer to non-edible materials when describing a palate, it means 'evokes model glue,' not that 'it tastes like model glue'), puncture repair glue, and barley syrup, with just a bit of wood pepper. Even with a lot of water, like the equivalent of Lake Geneva, it remains lively and even prickly. Crazy stuff. Finish: long, varnished, and bourbon-like. A slight acidic wood note at the end. Comments: truly a rollercoaster. Honestly, it's nice of the bottlers to believe we're capable of doing such reduction ourselves within a few minutes, but in reality, it remains quite hit-or-miss. Very good old grain anyway, it's just a bit lethal.
SGP:572 - 86 points. |
We're moving on to Strathclyde. I don't have much to say about Strathclyde. |
|
Strathclyde 29 yo 1994/2024 (62.2%, Frank McHardy's Signature Reserve, 166 bottles)
Another attempted murder, tsk tsk. Colour: white wine. Nose: cut flowers, dried flowers, fresh hay, and above all, 62.2% alcohol. Notes of stearin. With water: very light, sweet, like a bag of marshmallows (the family size, not the EasyJet size). With water: more wax. It's pleasant. Mouth (neat): sweet, sugary, focused on candies and alcohol. You take all the fruit liqueurs you can find at the Spanish and Italian borders (rings a bell?), mix them all together and there you go. With water: more complex, leaning towards light but quality rums. We're almost back in Cuba. After all, whether you distil cereals or cane molasses in stills so tall you can't see the top even on a clear day, it doesn't make a huge difference, does it? Finish: medium length, lovely sweetness, quite elegant. Banana, coconut, a bit of sawdust. Comments: a very nice grain whisky, once more. We should also try it over crushed ice while listening to Ray Barretto, that should work well.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
|
Strathclyde 50 yo 1974/2024 (44.3%, Alambic Classique, Rare Old, refill sherry cask, cask #24022, 53 bottles)
It's true, when you see such small outturns, you think that if they went to the trouble of bottling the cask, it must have been because they were believing it was worth the effort, precisely. Colour: gold. Nose: oh yes, herbal teas, camphor, mosses and ferns, yellow Chartreuse from the Spanish era, old amaro, verbena… But all of this is sublime! What a cask! Mouth: no need to write a novel, this is magical old grain. In fact, it has little of a grain about it, it navigates between an old malt from Lochside and a 1960s Bowmore. I'm serious. It makes you wonder if a trainee, back in 1974, didn't make a big stencil error at the filling station after indulging in too much of a trendy substance of the time. Tennent's, for example. Finish: incredible. It also reminds one of old Balblair, Clynelish, Coleburn… Only the aftertaste is a bit below par. Comments: no, but seriously, what was this cask, exactly?
SGP:651 - 91 points. |
Perhaps some blended grain to finish. Yes, they dared. |
|
More Than One Grain Distillery 36 yo 1987/2024 (ABV in waiting, Frank McHardy's Signature Reserve, blended grain, 260 bottles)
I've always thought grain was used to dilute malt, but I didn't know you could also dilute grain with grain. That's somewhat convoluted, is it not? Colour: pale gold. Nose: it's very light. Vanilla cake, coconut balls, chamomile. With water: a hint of hay wine. Have you ever tasted hay wine? Mouth (neat): it's much more interesting than the nose suggests. Lots of citrus, citron, oranges, pink grapefruit… As almost always with grains, it lacks texture on the palate, but there's no frustration here. With water: gentle notes of coconut, vanilla, rooibos, oriental pastries… Finish: quite short and somewhat in the style of Havana Club. Comments: malt enthusiasts often struggle with the lighter, sometimes even diaphanous structures of grain whiskies. That's a little bit the case here, but aromatically, it's extremely lovely. A very lovely light blend, then.
SGP:640 - 84 points. |
|
Blended Grain 50 yo 1972/2023 (50.8%, Decadent drinks, Notable Age Statements, refill bourbon barrel)
Colour: gold. Nose: another one that's pretty ungrainy. We're somewhere between a fruity Scottish malt like Tomatin or Balblair and a very good bourbon. We're talking orange cake, meadow honey, geranium, orange blossom water… With water: caraway, oriental bread, makrouts, juniper… what a delightful nose. There's even a very light hint of autumn leaves smoke, in autumn (seriously). Mouth (neat): excellent. There's a bit of richness, presumably from the wood, which adds the texture that we were missing a little in other very good grains we've tried these days. You only realise how important texture is when it's absent. You could say the same about many things in life: love, friendship, money, health (no one needs these cheap comments, S., please stop them.) With water: very beautiful, and it remains a grain whisky. Small hints of turmeric and saffron. Finish: quite long, quite complex. Lots of varied herbal teas, and a slightly peppery aftertaste, then onto passion fruits and mangoes. The finish is superb! Comments: the kind of grain that rekindles your fondness for grain whiskies. We've had a few of those these days, but you'll note that we still need age statements from 35 to 50 years, or even more. In my humble opinion, age is even more crucial with grains than with malts.
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
See you in a few days for more grains. Another brand new 50 yo Invergordon just in, we'll have it then. |
| |
May 15, 2024 |
|
|
A Surge of Scottish Grain Whiskies
Part one, North British |
|
North British's 38-whashbacks tun room (North British Distillery) |
Some old grain whiskies are quite interesting, while the younger ones are better suited for use as antifreeze. I'm joking, of course. That said, I recalled the other day that several malt distilleries used to initially treat new or first-fill casks with grain whisky to remove certain, shall we say, excessive characteristics (the kind we seek nowadays, times have changed) before pouring the precious malts into them. This is why visitors were often finding batches of very young empty grain casks in the yards of malt distilleries where they would fill the casks on site. These grain whiskies were thus beginning their life in very active wood, which is somewhat similar to practices in Cognac, for instance. Or in Kentucky or Tennessee… This might explain some profiles being quite dominated by vanillin and coconut notes in some grain whiskies, even older ones. Let's delve into this… |
Ah, I almost forgot, we'll start with a small series from North British. It's an interesting distillery because it has long distilled a lot of French maize, and I imagine they continue to do so. Today, it is a joint venture between Diageo and The Edrington Group. The production capacity varies significantly depending on the websites discussing it, and the current shittification of Google (bang, another jab at WF's pagerank!) isn't helping matters. It's crucial to know what we are talking about, just the grain whiskies or the total capacity, including neutral spirits for vodka, etc. So, if you agree, we'll avoid displaying approximate or even false data (too bad for ChatGPT and the others). PS: the official site still mentions 2.5 billion litres! Billions! |
Oh dear, what a lengthy introduction that was! So, as we mentioned, a few North British... |
|
North British 32 yo 1991/2023 (47.6%, Whisky Picnic Bar, cask #200323, first fill barrel, 176 bottles)
We find ourselves in Taiwan once more; always a delight. Colour: very pale white wine. Quite surprising for a first fill of over thirty years. Nose: absolutely typical of a carpentry workshop (ha), with warm sawdust, plenty of vanilla, a hint of coconut and pineapple, and above all, an overwhelming impression of piña colada. An entire vat of piña colada, plus a small touch of pine resin and cumin adding an extra twist. Great softness on the nose, rather lovely. Mouth: almost no harshness despite the presence of wood, then lots of green tea (the Taiwanese ones are excellent, I've just realised this again), some fruit candies, then the expected vanilla and coconut. All this without excess, it can quickly become dreadful but we're not at all there. Finish: short to medium length, soft, really a lot on green tea. Some orange juice in the aftertaste, which offers a bit of zest in the finish. Slight smoky side. Comments: simply very good for a grain that will have seen only another grain (bourbon, presumably). Very nice balance.
SGP:651 - 86 points. |
|
North British 31 yo 1991/2023 (46.7%, Hogshead Imports, first fill bourbon barrel, 186 bottles)
Is it allowed to call yourself Hogshead Import and bottle barrels? (S., this is the most ridiculous joke since the year 2000!) Colour: pure gold. Nose: this one is more mentholated, terpenic, more concentrated, yet it never veers towards glue or acetone. Plenty of orange blossom, panettone, raisin bread, then a touch of eucalyptus essential oil, massage oil, sauna… And finally, hints of soft rum, perhaps from Belize (I'm guessing here, but it's neither Jamaican, nor French, nor 'Venezuelan' in style). Mouth: we're closer to the Picnic Bar, but with more orange, zests, vanilla, with a touch of mild curry and white chocolate. Quite a few wood spices but again, we remain balanced. Finish: medium length. The coconut and pineapple now emerge, it's almost as if we're in the Caribbean, indeed. Comments: they are very different but of the same overall quality. High overall quality for some simple grain whisky.
SGP:651 - 85 points. |
For now, everything is going very well... Come on, let's have another 1991 then... |
|
North British 33 yo 1991/2024 (47.1%, Fadandel.dk, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #200317, 178 bottles)
A sister cask to the Picnic Bar, quite evidently. Colour: white wine. Nose: no, it's very different, even purer, you can almost smell the maize, popcorn, white nougat, blancmange, but also freshly cut grass and candle wax. It's very nicely narrow, rather refined, with just a touch of cumin again. Mouth: we are very close now. Green tea, vanilla, coconut, piña colada, then some orange juice. A slight varnish note as well. Finish: medium length, with some mild vegetables. Salsify and even, perhaps, a bit of cassava. Cassava in Edinburgh! Comments: in the end, it's the orange juice that had the last word.
SGP:651 - 85 points. |
These barrels are rather similar, we're somewhat in a tunnel. You might add that, moreover, they are from the same vintages. So, one last one then, from a different vintage… |
|
North British 30 yo 1993/2024 (51.5%, Frank McHardy's Signature Reserve, 166 bottles)
I find it amusing that the former manager of Springbank, who crafted so many rich, textured, and full-bodied malts, has such a keen interest in grain whiskies. But after all, Stallone is also a painter… Colour: pale gold. Nose: this time we're much more on almond croissants, vanilla flan, white chocolate, nougat, brioche, toasted bread, breakfast honey… It's all very gentle. With water: a touch of sawdust, oak chips, and milk chocolate. Mouth (neat): a bit of varnish and glue, of the better kind, then orange syrup and mixed fruit brandy. Much more powerful and a tad rustic compared to the nose. With water: blonde almond turron. That's delightfully nostalgic, we love it. This little North British swims very well. Finish: medium length, with the return of oranges and nougat. A bit of caramel and sweetcorn cream in the aftertaste, with a few drops of whisky in it (naturally). Try corn soup with whisky, it's magical. Comments: it's quite gentle, it's quite round, it's reassuring. And there are none of the flaws often found in grains (empty spirits, right). Excellent, despite the lack of Springbanky flavours and aromas (I couldn't resist).
SGP:641 - 87 points. |
| |
May 14, 2024 |
|
|
Some young Aberfeldy and Pitilie |
|
| Dewar's Aberfeldy Distillery (Dewar's) |
Let's not forget that the true name is now 'Dewar's Aberfeldy Distillery'. I quite like this place; it's always amusing to discreetly listen to the comments of tourists and realise that we enthusiasts sometimes seem a bit lofty. "A bottle of whisky over £100, are they maaaaad?!" |
|
Aberfeldy 12 yo (40%, OB, +/-2023)
Frankly, these 40% vol. do make it feel a bit cheap, although the bottle itself is quite lovely. We also very much appreciate that no finishing has been imposed on it. I hope we are not mistaken. Colour: light gold. Nose: an array of cereals and honey, then sultanas and a hint of orange juice. Simple, effective, pretty, light. Perhaps not enough to write a novel about... Mouth: really very light, a bit sweet, with a pleasant arrival but a sudden drop. Slightly herbaceous and rather thin, actually. Previous batches seemed a bit more, let's say, robust. Finish: short, more spicy, with more cakes, cookies… But it becomes dry and overly focused on tea and cardboard after that. A pity. Comments: let's not exaggerate, it's really a nice malt, but I think independents would have done something with a bit more presence. We shall see…
SGP:441 - 80 points. |
|
Aberfeldy 10 yo 2013/2024 (48.2%, Signatory Vintage, Small Batch #10, 1st fill oloroso sherry butts)
From this notable new series from Signatory... Colour: gold. Nose: well, here we are. Superb leather, tobacco, and green walnuts, then all kinds of raisins and a lovely touch of armagnac from a skilled producer. Armagnac is always crafted by skilled producers, anyway. Very fine sherry. Mouth: powerful, with a bit of wood (spruce, cedar) and plenty of prunes and nutmeg. Then blood oranges, peppers, cardamom, and even a hint of curry. Finish: long, more on bitter chocolate and clove. Water isn't really necessary, but one feels inclined to try it: not much change, except for a bit more tobacco and allspice, then some cocoa powder. Comments: there's a hint of 'modern' work with active or reactivated casks, but it's a success.
SGP:461 - 85 points. |
|
Aberfeldy 10 yo 2013/2023 (48.5%, Decadent Drinks, Equinox & Solstice, 2nd fill barrel)
Closer to you, my distillate... Colour: white wine. Nose: obviously, this is my preferred style, close to the juice, the barley, the undulating fields, the gentle climate, the kindness of the people, the softness of the Midlands… A Parisian patisserie at 6 AM, with fresh croissants, pain aux raisins, crispbreads, and macarons of the day. And madeleines, of course. Magnificent nose, pure and precise. But why am I only tasting it now? Mouth: very close to the official bottling, yet it remains taut throughout, with green tea, meadow honey, apple cake, and cinnamon biscuits... The palate might not quite reach the level of the very fine nose, but it's still very good. Finish: fairly long, close to barley and ripe apple. Comments: Aberfeldy is perhaps not a 'wow!' malt, but it's a very lovely distillate, and here's the proof. There are also some fine Dewar's around at the moment, but we scarcely have the space to sample large-batch blends. Whiskyfun is cursed…
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
And now, let's have a gentle laugh... We used to, think that the number of distilleries in Scotland was exploding, but in fact, they're just multiplying the names of each one. Just kidding. |
|
Pitilie 9 yo 2015/2024 (54.8%, Dràm Mor, 1st fill Buffalo Trace barrel finish, cask #247, 240 bottles)
The label tells us that this was distilled at 'Aberfeldie Distillery'. It's worth noting that there once was a 'Pitillie Distillery' in the vicinity, near Pitilie Farm on the Pittilie Burn (thanks to scotchwhisky.com, one of the finest websites ever!). Oh, the intrigue of names and double consonants… Colour: white wine. Nose: it's almost the same whisky as the Equinox, which is good news. We remain very close to fresh barley, apple, ripe plums, and brioche dough… With water: pear and a hint of banana liqueur. A familiar molecule, isn't it? Mouth (neat): vanilla, caramel, and plenty of butterscotch, with a peppery layer. With water: little change, except more honey and apples. Lovely freshness, a touch of chalk. Finish: long. Apple, cinnamon, barley, brioche. A hint of lemon in the aftertaste. Comments: same territory as the 2013 'Decadent'. I'm not dead sure these are malts that we'll remember all our lives, but what's sure is that they are really very good.
SGP:551 – 85 points. |
| |
May 13, 2024 |
|
|
WF's little duos, today indie Balblair ex-refill bourbon
Did you see that Distillery Manager John MacDonald just left Balblair, after almost twenty years of service? We rarely publish this kind of stuff but I remember well when we first visited Balblair, he had been so cool with us… a good twenty years ago, even if I'm not sure he was already the Manager. Cheers John MacDonald! Sadly we haven't got any new OB up our sleeves, but these wee IBs will do. |
|
|
Balblair 9 yo 2013/2023 (57.1%, A.D. Rattray for WhiskyFacile, refill bourbon barrel)
Should we expect an avalanche of bananas, mangoes, plums, ripe peaches, and muscat berries, or is this little one still a bit too young for that? Let's see... Colour: white wine. Nose: it's still a bit warm and alcoholic at first, with a hint of varnish and fresh sawdust, but it develops well, even if we never really move towards exotic fruits. Apple, pear, green plums, white peaches... With water: as often, it's the fresh bread that stands out more, sourdough, pizza dough... We like that. Mouth (neat): the arrival is fruitier than on the nose, with a whole pack of liquorice allsorts and lemon soft sweets from Haribo's. There's again a bit of new fruit eau-de-vie, varnish, and glue, but that doesn't bother us. With water: little change, probably more liquorice, which calls for a slight salty touch. Finish: quite long, young, fruity, nervous, still tight as a thong (as my friend Philippe S. would say – tsk tsk). Comments: some aspects remind us of a distillery not very far away, further north along the east coast, but rather without its proverbial wax. Excellent young Balblair.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
|
Balblair 26 yo 1997/2023 (54.1%, Gordon & MacPhail, Kirsch Import, refill bourbon barrel, cask #1884, 153 bottles)
Let's see if the exotic fruits have come through with time... Colour: pale gold. Nose: well, there aren't that many differences, we remain on orchard fruits, fresh pastries, pears, custard... Alright, there are a few small bananas and indeed, some notes of passion fruit emerging. Oh, and lemon balm, orgeat, citronella, a bit of damp garden soil, and also vervain... It's very nice. With water: that typical side, on multivitamin fruit juice, banana, mango, orange, papaya, pear... Mouth (neat): really a pure Balblair this time, with a marked citrus side, yuzu, passion fruit, and that slight chalky side of a great Sauvignon Blanc from a limestone terroir. That said, it seems a bit younger than 26 years. With water: pure Balblair, very fresh and fruity. Finish: good length, a hint of mint and eucalyptus and liquorice. Everything is very good. Comments: it's amazing, it reminds a bit of certain aspects of the old Balblair 10 years from G&M, those at 40% vol. which went down faster than well-chilled Coca Zero. But this 1997 is a thousand times superior, even if it's not quite on the level of the great 1966 official ones from a few years ago. I'm referring to the ones John MacDonald poured us.
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
| |
May 12, 2024 |
|
|
|
|
A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
More cognacs and armagnacs (cream of the crop only)
Since it's Sunday. Next Sunday, it will be rum again, unless we pour some mezcals, old genevers, or other alternative spirits. We'll see... In any case, today we decided to do all this completely at random.
Current campaign for Armagnac. The aim was 'to reinvent and rejuvenate its image', as it's always, invariably been since at least Methuselah. Got to love them!
|
 |
|
Jean-Luc Pasquet 'L'Organic Folle Blanche L.XIII' (49.6%, OB, Grande Champagne, +/-2024)
The last batch went very well. I remind you that folle blanche is supposed to be a much more quality grape variety than the others, but its post-phylloxera grafting may have weakened it and it remains quite rare. Well, that's what I seem to have read somewhere. This baby is ten years old. Colour: golden. Nose: it's aromatic and a bit oily, somewhat like a malt, with a very nice balance between the fruits, or rather the fruit peels (peach, apple) and the floral infusions like chamomile and orange blossom. A bit of slightly underripe mashed banana. I'm re-reading my notes for the previous version, we're very close. Mouth: a lot of liquorice, with touches of salt, still that fairly oily and slightly herbaceous side, then raisins and that famous orange blossom, earl grey, Turkish delight, etc. But it remains tight and quite nervous, despite the rather remarkable oily aspect. Could they have added some Golden Promise? Finish: quite long, with a return of salty liquorice. Almost a bit of beef jerky at the end. Teriyaki flavour, please. A bit of mint at the very end. Comments: it also takes water very well and becomes even more liquorice-led (indeed, with an artisanal pastis side, if you like).
SGP:562 - 86 points. |
|
Fanny Fougerat 'Iris Poivré XO' (40%, OB, Borderies, 7500 bottles)
It's quite a statement to bottle such a baby at 40% vol. That might mean 'our ancestors have always done it this way and we don't care much about trends'. If that's the case, we applaud it! By the way, 'iris poivré' means 'peppered iris' (I think they had gotten that, S.). Colour: straw. Nose: it's quite soft and indeed floral. We find liquorice and violet, orange blossom, wisteria, honeysuckle, and especially a lot of green earl grey tea (earl grey exists in both black and green, did you know?). Also, a bit of patchouli, which gives this lovely cognac such a fresh, hippie side. Yes, really. Mouth: it's fuller than expected, always fresh and close to nature (flowers, shrubs, damp earth) and with a very, very slightly muscaty side, but that's not uncommon in young cognacs. Pear cake covered with cinnamon. Finish: not so short, always fresh. Some touches of service tree liqueur and a bit more liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: very good, but at 40% vol. the WF drinkability index is very high. So, caution is required...
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
Well, these two young cognacs have really done their job. Right, let's go down… |
|
Daniel Bouju 'Lot 60 Un Toast à L'Amitié' (50.4%, OB for Geert Lagast & Raf De Ruysscher, 2023)
So, 1960, baddest year for wine, good year for Man (yeah right). More cognac smuggling by our dear Belgian friends. I hope Ursula v/d L. will do something eventually. In my meagre experience, Boujus tend to be dark and heavy (ish). Colour: coffee. Nose: hold on, is this old Ténarèze? Very old Brandy de Jerez? 1950s Glen Grant by G&M? Macallan 'Gran Reserva'? Could we see the papers? Prunes, coffee liqueur, very old cream sherry, ultra-fresh pipe tobacco and forty tonnes of the blackest and juiciest big fat Corinthian raisins. That's what we get. With water: awesome prunes, treacle toffee pudding, Christmas cake… Mouth (neat): heavy indeed, but not exactly stuffy or cloying. Huge liquorice, crazy PX, then menthol and another 40 tonnes of those Corinthian raisins. What's troubling is that it would remain elegant and drinkable. With water: it does stand water and the oak never really comes to front stage. Perhaps a tad more grapey, teaish… Well water is unnecessary. Finish: awesome without water, if a tad armagnacqy. No probs, contrary. Chocolate and prunes. Comments: I shouldn't have added water – when you see what's happening with Nestlé's waters these days - but it's a very great, very Bouju-y (as far as I can tell) cognac.
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
|
Dartigalongue 1981/2024 (45%, OB, Bas Armagnac)
This one was just bottled in April, we got it straight from Nogaro in the Gers. Naturally, Nogaro is famous for its armagnacs, but also for its grand-prix-level motor races, their 'Circuit Paul Armagnac' being known just everywhere on this planet. Quite. As for 1981, that's Kim Wilde, of course. Colour: deep amber. Nose: this is where armagnac meets cognac, had you said this was an old Borderies or something, I wouldn't have cried 'wolf!'. Superlative overripe peaches, all-flower meadow honey, soft molasses (cane), a tiny touch of black truffle, praline, pistachio nougat, then more oldness (pine resins, black tea) but this remains fresh and oh-so lively. Mouth: much more on wood, but it's all under control and we know it's a proper style down there. Litres of black tea (remember, black Assam), a lot of bitter chocolate, cigars, pine needles, a little thyme oil, terpenes, turpentine… And we just love this, as we keep remaining way below the limits. This menthol + chocolate combo that's coming out now is perfect. That's right, After Eights, thin mints. Finish: long, clearly piney now, with a small side remining us of Greek retsina wine, and that works. Varnish. Comments: These quite woody old armagnacs can stick your tongue to the roof of your mouth, as they say, but that's absolutely not the case here. Wonderful bottle, superbly traditional, reminding me of my Sunday meals at my grandfathers'. Next step, doing laps at the Nogaro circuit in a Bugatti Type 35. One must have goals in life.
SGP:561 - 91 points. |
|
Hontambère 1983 (54.2%, Grape of The Art, Ténarèze, cask #G4, 2023)
As I understand it this is Pouchégu, sourced by Hontambère, bottled by Grape of The Art. So be it. Colour: copper amber; Nose: relatively light, rather on incense, cedarwood, chicken broth and apricots. Unusual 'fusion' combo but some menthol is gathering the troops after a short while. With water: chocolate all around, plus dried fruits (apricots, pears). The chicken have gone. Mouth (neat): some oak for sure, more cedarwood, tobacco, pinewood, very black tea Russian-style, the blackest chocolate and the blackest coffees… With water: it's become fruitier, almost a little jammy. Spiced jams, orange and ginger… Finish: rather long, gently rustic, with more coffee and chocolate. Touch of camphor. Comments: perhaps the most armagnacqy of them all. In truth I used to have, in my remote family, an old grandpa who used to raise fighting bulls and armagnacs, for sports. He was owning many casks of Ténarèze that used to be a little bit like this one. He was still riding his motorbike at the age of 90 and eventually died just before reaching 100. The family keeps drinking his old Ténarèzes. Why am I telling you this?
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
|
Aurian 45 yo 1977/2024 (45.2%, Armagnac Sponge, Decadent Drinks, Bas armagnac, 156 bottles)
Monsieur Sponge is back. Colour: copper. Nose: it's a fruit compote, with ripe cherries, deep red peaches, a hint of caramel, geranium flowers, peonies, and garden compost. It's obviously very beautiful and certainly a tad rustic. Mouth: it's even better on the palate. The pretty obvious woodiness acts like a crown of diamonds around an emerald or a sapphire (you're exaggerating there, S.) More cooked red fruits, chocolate, rosemary, liquorice, a few cloves, touches of tar, a few drops of tomato sauce... Finish: long, very beautiful, almost fresh but always with those notes of cooked fruits. Indian spices (red tandoori). Comments: one can only wonder why most armagnacs age so much better than malt whiskies. We'll have to interview The Sponge on this subject.
SGP:661 - 90 points. |
|
Grande Champagne 'n°19.74' (49.4%, Malternative Belgium, Private Bottling)
I don't have a photo of this bottle, so I'm putting up a portrait of Thijs van Leer, the singer of Focus in 'Hocus Pocus', around 1974. A crazy thing, give it a go if you've never heard it (that is, if you're under 60). I'd like to add that I have a very high opinion of the work of Malternative Belgium, it reeks of well-maintained telomeres and neurons in good working order. Colour: deep gold. Nose: this time we're not going for complexity, there's apple, honey, and hay. It's just that the proportions are perfect. Mouth: it's very funny, once again it's a very compact old cognac, almost simple, with apples and a bit of lemon and peppermint. In fact it's almost an abstract cognac, a Miro or Calder of French brandy. Finish: same. Comments: I like it really a lot, but I may have missed a few parts.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
|
Le Noble 'Lot 68' (45.2%, Malternative Belgium & The Whisky Jury, Grande champagne, 129 bottles, 2023)
From a 'bouilleur de cru', so probably an individual. It's true that in France, we need to produce a large part of what we consume, coz we wouldn't want to run dry (even if we're already #1 export market in volume for Scotch – but we drink a lot of the nasty stuff). Colour: full amber. Nose: and what an individual. This is peach-led, which is the #1 kind of arrival with anything cognac or even wine brandy, then we have ripe apricots, mirabelles and quinces. A few amaretti and macaroons. Mouth: some tannicity sure feels, peach skin, cedarwood, pear peeling, heavier Darjeeling.. but balance was preserved. It's in the background that tea and oak tannins seem to be having a blast, but they'll never actually get through. Finish: rather long, rather fresh, rather peachy. More mint and black tea in the aftertaste. Comments: 1968, that was In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, right? In any case, I 'd believe bottling old cognacs or armagnacs really means knowing how to play with the limits. Sexiest work there is, no?
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
| |
May 10, 2024 |
|
|
Ardnahoe, Strathearn and other New Scottish Cats
Here we have the first official Strathearn, the first Ardnahoe as well, and a few other young distilleries and variants. The world of Scottish whisky continues to evolve (now, that's a useful comment, S.!)
Ardnahoe Distillery on Islay (Ardnahoe) |
 |
|
Glenwyvis 2019 '2023 release' (46.5%, OB, 12,000 bottles)
Straight from Dingwall, a majority of ex-bourbon, plus some refill and '17%' (that's right) wines. You can't make Scotch whisky without table wine these days, I suppose there must be a new rule about that at the honourable SWA. I had thought the 2022 edition was really good (WF 80). Colour: pale white wine. Nose: I find it extremely barley-y, full of Weetabix, then mashed carrots, cut apples and plums. A good few tinned greengages too. Mouth: a tad rough, which is normal, with fruit peel, lemon zests, some muesli, more cereals, and something globally pretty tangy. Moves towards mirabelle plums and oranges, a very nice move for sure. Finish: long, tart, grassier as almost always, with green pears. The aftertaste has a lovely lemonness. Comments: perhaps not quite on par with the awesome 2018 by Berry Bros. from last year but very solid young drop. Next step would be honeys and waxes, see you in a few years.
SGP:451 - 82 points. |
|
Glenwyvis 2018/2024 (61.5%, OB, Kirsch exclusive, 1st fill oloroso sherry butt, cask #243, 671 bottles)
We're in Germany. Colour: full gold. Nose: not that huge at this very high strength, but you do get pencil shavings and cocoa, as well as some kind of candied ginger dipped into orange syrup. Neat and tidy this far. With water: oranges are having the upper hand. Awesome old triple-sec, Grand-Marnier, Cointreau, Mandarine Impériale and all that. Rather less tannicity than feared, hurray. Mouth (neat): big, oak-spice-driven, apparently. Full of cinnamon mints and ginger. Awesome triple-sec + mango syrup combo in the background, but no chances taken, with water: almost no changes this time, it is a tad gritty, tea-ish and kind of tannic. On the other hand, this lovely citrus keeps it afloat and all remains well. Finish: long, spicy, zesty, fresh. The cedarwood is back in the aftertaste (a.k.a. pencil shavings) together with some peach liqueur. Comments: did I not miss the oloroso part? The 'obvious' oak never was a problem. Very, very nice young drop.
SGP:651 - 85 points. |
Since we're talking about Germany, just a few thoughts on this year's stunning Whisky Fair in Limburg. It's wonderful to see so many old friends again, and there are increasingly more new whiskies, although they are mainly from very young distilleries from around the world or names like Linkwood, Teaninich, Benrinnes, or Secret Orkneys that are 10 years old and bottled by young, vibrant, enthusiastic and sometimes pretty new independent bottlers. Very good indeed! However, what slightly worried me was the abundance of grey hair within the audience, including mine; it almost felt like being at a Stevie Nicks gig. Are the younger generations a little less interested in whisky? Or is it simply a matter of prices now being far too high? This trend is also apparent in the wine industry. Let's move on… |
|
Strathearn 'Inaugural Release' (50%, OB, 2024)
From a combination of virgin, bourbon and sherry casks, around 7 years old on average. Perthshire's quasi-pocket distillery Strathearn now belongs to Douglas Laing. We've already tried two or three indie youngsters, they were good. Colour: light gold. Nose: bread and pastry dough plus candied fruits. Simply perfect. Right, that was a bit short, so say panettone, sourdough bread, rhubarb juice and bamboo shoots. How does that sound? With water: fresh brioche straight from the baker's. Lovely breakfast. Also a closed pack of cigarettes (how about Gold Leaf?) Mouth (neat): mango, beeswax, more rhubarb, golden syrup, pancake sauce, green tea (Gunpowder) and pink grapefruit. Great idea to have waited quite bit longer before releasing a first official, well, release. With water: water pulls out sweet roots. Gentian, carrots, all complex flavours that are highly desirable in my book. Finish: long, rather more on milk chocolate and some slightly gingered orange juice. Touch of fresh turmeric in the aftertaste. Comments: awesomely complex at this age. TBH we visited the distillery while it had just been built and the tiny gear had been a little, let's say, frightening. Mea culpa, much impressed today.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
|
Strathearn 10 yo 2014/2024 'Dramton Abbey' (57.1%, Thompson Bros., private bottling, 100l sherry cask)
So, with a dozen friends including The Sponge, a Fiddler and the Thompsons, we got the keys of the distillery ten years ago and could make our own malt whisky under our own specs, with no distillery owners, manager or workers in the way! It's almost been as if we only had to leave the keys under the doormat when leaving. Thank God we were having M.D. (that's Master Distiller) Simon Thompson with us. This is the end result, ten years later. Colour: deep gold. Nose: right between some middle-aged rhum agricole, straight bourbon and fresh estate cognac. The sum of it all generates this… dazzlingly cakey malt whisky. As someone once sang, maybe I'm amazed. Love the parsley in it! With water: classic malt, with some ale, cakes, chocolate, tobacco, menthol, camphor and just a little rainwater and damp chalk in the background. Mouth (neat): tiny citrus and even tinier herbs, plus many variations on ginger and the usual turmeric and cinnamon. With water: superb. Fifty percent fir honey, fifty percent proper marmalade and fifty percent assorted oriental spices and rosewater. That's more than one hundred percent but indeed, it's big whisky. Finish: long, superbly jammy, candied and spicy. Peppered fig jam or something like that. Comments: clearly oriental in some way. We won't score this baby but rest assured that any numbers would have been pretty high. Regarding my own role in this work, I believe I butchered two or three old Alsatian Lieder and told a few pointless jokes during the heating. You see, that worked.
SGP:651 - (-) points. |
|
Ardnamurchan 7 yo 2016/2023 (58.1%, OB, for Switzerland, 1st fill PX sherry hogshead, cask #838, 324 bottles)
Ardnamurchan has now truly become a part of the landscape of great Scottish malts, with its splendid west coast aspect. Well, I don't always understand everything on the labels (AD/09:16, is that a reference to battleships?) but that's probably just me. Hoppla… Colour: full gold. Nose: someone has kilned a banana cake and then drizzled it with chestnut honey and mint-liquorice sauce. There's a very subtle, rather pleasant composted fruit aspect to it. With water: much the same, but with just a few hints of pea cream. Or take Ninon cream, quite an incredible thing. I'll see if I can find you the recipe… Mouth (neat): creamy, cheerfully medicinal, minty and lemony, with plenty of thyme (you have to like it, I personally love it) and some sultanas. The PX has remained refined. With water: we add some orange marmalade and a bit of ginger. Very classic. Finish: long, focused, always on this marmalade. Comments: superb, even if the PX seems to have slightly diminished some of the peatiness. It's true that PX can be overpowering, but here, we are well within limits.
SGP:654 - 88 points. |
|
Ardnahoe 5 yo 'Inaugural Release' (50%, OB, 2024)
The first one! Ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks. To keep us waiting since the first distillation at Ardnahoe (they're situated between Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila) in 2018, Hunter Laing have been deliciously bombarding us maltheads with old Caol Ila, Laphroaig, Bunnahabhain, Bowmore, and even some very high-quality Port Ellen under their 'The Kinship' label. So frankly, we could have waited a few more years. Hey, just kidding. Colour: gold. Nose: it's very much pure Islay, perhaps leaning more towards the south shore than the east shore in style. But if I remember correctly, there's also a magnificent Celtic cross up there not too far from the east coast. Here the smoke is pronounced, slightly acrid (like a back-drafting fireplace), but there's a rather specific fruity combination right behind it. I'm not sure if it will be found in future bottlings, but I detect blood orange mixed with apricots and a few tomato notes. I love it when a bit of tomato comes through in a malt whisky. Even tomato bush. Brilliant. With water: not much development, maybe a bit more brininess, olives, pickles… Mouth (neat): very pure, crystalline, less oily and broad than the nose might suggest, hence a bit closer to its southern neighbour. Langoustines, oysters, granny smith apples, sea bream ceviche with lime and mint (why not?) plus green pepper and a touch of mint tea. A slight Jamaican rum aspect too, which is amusing. It's a 'good mood' whisky. With water: really, really good. In fact we're still a bit in the territory of an Islay distillery that starts with the same first three letters. Finish: same, although this time there's a more medicinal aspect coming through. Comments: it seems they really sought the DNA of Islay, rather than a more unique but perhaps more 'pretentious' and 'deviant' style. I find that clever. It's very, very, very good. And I like it that it's not NAS. I think we'll have more Ardnahoe soon.
SGP:467 - 89 points. |
It's quite incredible how much Islay has changed. We will soon be republishing an old interview with a distillery manager that we conducted in 2004. You'll see just how amazing it is! |
Many more young cats very soon… |
| |
May 9, 2024 |
|
|
Little Duos, today Tamdhu and Duich |
One OB vs. one IB, both sherry. Classic short line-up… |
|
Tamdhu 14 yo 'Ambar' (43%, OB, travel retail, oloroso, +/-2021)
Ambar means amber in Spanish, I believe it does too in English, but only with a Cockney accent. Not too sure whether this is full maturation in oloroso or only a finishing, not too websites seem to agree on that. It's to be noted that newer expressions seem to carry a vintage statement, but not this very one. Colour: more golden than 'ambar', but no worries. Nose: classic softness, with breakfast honey and dandelions, nougat, ripe plums… Well it does not feel like first fill oloroso (even speed-seasoned oloroso wood). A tiny whiff of fresh mint, caramel, orange blossom water, oriental pastries, a handful of juicy golden sultanas… Really nice and easy. Mouth: a touch of newer oak, pepper, cinnamon… Then more Speysidey nutty sherry, overripe apples, marmalade, cakes… And more oriental pastries. I'll dare add that it's sitting somewhere between young Glenrothes and Macallan (both OBs). These humble 43% do work. Finish: medium, rather sweet, a tad liqueury. Plum liqueur and a spoonful of molasses 'honey'. Comments: like this umpteenth variation on the most classic sherry theme rather a lot. Very easy whisky.
SGP:651 - 84 points. |
|
Duich 8 yo 2016/2024 (57.2%, Dràm Mor, 1st fill PX hogshead finish, cask #30369, 230 bottles)
Right, it seems you can no longer be a self-respecting Scottish distillery unless you have your own alternative name (trade name). It's quite chic, isn't it? But anyway, enthusiasts end up knowing them all. In any case, 'Duich' is the trade name for Tamdhu. I hope it's not pronounced 'douche'. Colour: pale gold. Nose: oh, we're having a good laugh, as this is full of cellulose varnish and wood glue on the first nosing. Sawdust from fir, thuja, yew, spruce… Then it transforms into amyl diacetate, so pineapple and pear, then moves on to small herbs and roots. Wild carrots remain my favourite. A rather mad Duich on the nose, the exact opposite of the official one. With water: adds a touch of coconut milk and new leather, plus, indeed, dry PX. Mouth (neat): massive, robust, a bit spicy, very concentrated, more on citrus marmalades and jams this time. Quite a bit of ginger and turmeric from the wood. With water: almost enough to spread on our toast. Between bitter orange marmalade and candied ginger. Finish: endless, spicy, and still very marked by bitter citrus, but also the liqueurs made from these same citrus fruits. Comments: another madness from Dràm Mor. With this kind of fairly extreme drop you can't become jaded with whisky, even if it's a bit scary from time to time, like a roller coaster. Oh well, see what I'm meaning.
SGP:571 - 87 points. |
| |
May 8, 2024 |
|
|
WF's Little Duos, today Glenlivet old young and recent old
The kind of game we like, especially with Glenlivet. Or Glen Grant. This brings us to that recurring cruel dilemma: should we first sample the oldest one, which is of a lower strength, or the younger one, which is of a higher strength? We have never really found the perfect answer, so let's start with this venerable 12-year-old that will serve as a prestigious aperitif...
'The Glenlivet Just Slightly Out Of Reach'. An ultra-classic advertising angle. (Print ad, 1986) |
 |
|
Smith's Glenlivet 12 yo 1958/1971 (70°proof, OB for Peter Dominic ltd., sherry wood, cask #2483 and 2484, 26 2/3 ozs)
We had tried a 1967 for Peter Dominic that had been flabbergasting (WF 93). Peter Dominic was a London wine merchant that, apparently, had been bought up by IDV (J&B, Gilbey's) so then, I think, GrandMet before this Glenlivet was bottled. The Peter Dominic company had also written 'Everybody's Wine Guide' that you can still find online. It's now become a 'non-trading company'. Colour: full gold. Nose: It's the elegance of these old Glenlivets that strikes first, featuring hints of rosewood, aged tobacco, old floor wax, and beeswax, then a burst of freshness, especially from very ripe apples and praline. A charming and subtle aroma, not unlike an old Sauternes that has already shed nearly all its sugars. Mouth: Quite dry, leaning towards the sultanas from an old tin box (a personal quirk), but with a touch of cardboard, chicken broth, a bit of salt, mint sauce (typically British!), and hints of honey or mead syrup. There's a slight metallic edge, probably some Old Bottle Effect, but the whole remains fresh and eminently enjoyable. Finish: Not as short as you might think, with a sort of broth and honey mix. A superb aftertaste of fine honeys. Comments: Typical of a great whisky from an old bottle. The 70 proof/40% ABV aren't exactly the best for keeping well for centuries, but in my humble opinion, it's still very, very good.
SGP:552 - 88 points. |
|
Glenlivet 32 yo 1990/2023 'Lost in Time' (62.4%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, refill hogshead, cask #27277, 132 bottles)
I deeply like it that they would have let the distillates sing within this newish series, instead of burying them under heavy oaks and wines, as is the latest fashion in whisky. Well, I might have written this somewhere before. Colour: gold. Nose: superb tension, focusing on cider, fresh barley, and green tea. Not much else, but that's normal for such a wild strength at 32 years old. Long live the refills! With water: it stays very close to the barley, earth, dark beer, cider apple, in short, the countryside. A few crumpled mint leaves add to the mix. Mouth (neat): this wild tension returns, more lemony this time but also with honey and linden tea and coriander leaf. It pinches the tongue a bit but we like that. Yes, indeed. With water: perfect, with the diabolical duo of granny smith apple and lemon, then several honeys and honeydews. It's high precision and somewhat returns to the profile of very old Glenlivets that hadn't been fully crafted in sherry. At least, that's how it seems to me. Finish: long, always fresh, vibrant, precise, and remarkably and gloriously simple. Class, in a word. Comments: a magnificent series that in terms of profile, takes a bit of a contrarian approach to what else is happening in the competition. Well, it might not be a very 'mainstream' expression.
SGP:561 - 91 points. |
(Thank you mucho, Logan !) |
| |
May 7, 2024 |
|
|
WF's Little Duos, today young Cardhu
Back from Andalusia where we enjoyed some excellent PX 'seco' from Malaga (I wouldn't swap a good bottle of dry PX for a crate of 'dulce' PX), and where Cardhu appears to still be quite a strong brand, just as in France. Let's therefore try a little couple of young Cardhus...
(Magazine ad with some teaser, 1980)
|
 |
|
Cardhu 12 yo (40%, OB, +/-2023)
We've last tried this fairly common and lightish expression in 2017 (WF 75). Earlier 'white label' bottlings from the 1970s and 1980s (8 yo, 12 yo) were something else. Colour: light gold. Nose: it's easy to imagine why it's a long-standing success in Spain and France, this is a nice 'apéritif' nose, rather fresh, with some cut apples and a little agave syrup. Fresh pack of Fruit Loops, then even more fresh apples, also apple compote, pack of orange drops... Mouth: a little hard to understand after the pleasant nose. Light bodied. Some bitterer grasses, mashes, bonbons, oversteeped green tea, macha tea, touches of bitterer zests… I would suppose this baby really needs a few ice cubes. Finish: a little nicer, with some toasted oak, chocolate, mocha, nutmeg… Some parts of this finish remind me of modern young Macallan. Oakier aftertaste, teas and herbal teas… Comments: score almost unchanged. We'll try it again around 2019 – maybe.
SGP:241 – 74 points. |
|
Cardhu 12 yo 'Wine Cask 200th Anniversary' (40%, OB, 2023)
Indeed, Cardhu is 200 this year in 2024, however, it is not immune to the affliction that has been affecting most Scottish malts for the past two or four years: the massive use of table wine (We're not talking about fortified wines like sherry, are we?). Having said that, our friends in Scotland don't stop improving their methods, so we're no longer safe from an excellent surprise. Oh and looks like this is full-maturing, or at least a 3 years-and-1-day finishing (so indeed maturation). Colour: apricot. So, red wine. Nose: loses you quick. You do get crushed berries, peonies, flavoured pipe tobacco (cherry-seasoned), but you also find butterscotch and treacle toffee, which just everyone is finding pretty nice. Including this humble little taster. Nutshell, we're between a moist fruitcake and some no-less moist gingerbread. Mouth: quite some action despite the low strength, with chocolates filled with raspberry and pear liqueur, lots of cherry, or cherry pastries, speculoos, chocolate turrón (as I mentioned we're just coming back from Spain), and a bit of coffee... In short, it's like a cocktail or premix, but it's rather well done. Finish: quite long, with these even more pronounced cherry notes, followed by a bit of thyme honey and peppermint candy. Comments: I must admit I prefer this unlikely concoction to the shy recent standard 12-year-olds. Happy 200th anniversary, Cardhu.
SGP:551 - 79 points. |
Quick bonus: we just found this one in one of the boxes… |
|
Cardhu 'Gold Reserve' (40%, OB, +/-2015)
One of the first renditions of this very humble NAS. At 40% ABV and without an age statement, one shouldn't expect any of Beethoven's symphonies, right. Colour: pale gold. Nose: very close to the 12. Having them side by side is making this obvious, this is just a little more modest and immediately grassy and on green tea. I like both noses, but we know that the devil is rather lurking on our palates… Mouth: rather unexpectedly, I like this one a little better than the 12, but it's still a little weak, tea-ish, slightly bitter, with fruit peelings rather than flesh. A little white chocolate, which appeals to the child within us all. Finish: a little short, grassy, but not unpleasant. Bonbons and touches of pepper and gin in the aftertaste. Comments: we hope for a special version at a higher proof soon!
SGP:651 - 77 points. |
Well, it seems that the wine-boosted version was the favourite. I may need to see a doctor... |
Previous entries
(archived)
|
|
| |
|
|
