April 4, 2014

Funny duos, today estery Lowlanders

Well, not sure this duo will actually be funny, but one of these will be a very ‘modern’ youngish Lowlander, while the other one is old and has become very rare. And yet both are sharing a somewhat similar style in my experience and both are ex-bourbon.

Auchentoshan 1998/2013 (61,1%, Gordon & Company, Pearls of Scotland, bourbon, cask #102348, 250 bottles)

It’s the first time I’m trying a whisky by this new bottler. Colour: white wine. Nose: oh-so-very Auchentoshan! It’s great to have one that’s not ridden with unlikely oaky/winey flavours, that is to say one that smells just like a huge new pack of marshmallows. And we have all flavours, pineapple, lemon, orange, strawberries, cherries… And better yet, there’s no nail polish remover and no varnish whatsoever despite the very high strength. With water: as often, there’s a kind of grass smoke coming through, together with a little barley syrup. Oh and more marshmallows. Maybe even a touch of gentian? Suze? Mouth (neat): sweet alcohol and jellybeans, mainly pear and pineapple-flavoured ones. Very strong, and yet kind of smooth. Or is it me? With water: excellent! What was added to the nose is added to the palate as well, especially this rooty/gentiany side. Love that. Finish: long, very fresh and as ueber-clean as expected. Comments: beautiful and slightly Irish, in a way. It’s not very ‘wide’ malt whisky but it fully delivers. Oh and where else shall we find this style in Scotland? SGP:641 - 88 points.

Ladyburn 37 yo 1974/2011 'Rare Ayrshire' (52.1%, Van Wees, The Ultimate, bourbon, cask #2604, 155 bottles)

We’re approaching our 10th Ladyburn, hurray! (hold your horses, S.) Sadly I can't remember if Ladybrun was triple distilled or not. Colour: gold. Nose: cask-aged pina colada, more or less. So bananas and coconut, then rather a lot of vanilla, meringue, apple pie and white chocolate. Also touches of sweet oak as such, but it’s not planky at all. In a way, it’s well the Auchentoshan with more age, and possibly from a slightly more active bourbon barrel. With water: it’s really amazing how close to the Auchentoshan we got, this one has just got more vanilla. Maybe melons and peaches as well. Mouth (neat): very same profile, that is to say that of some ‘cask strength’ pina colada. Bananas and coconut plus a little cinnamon and white pepper from the oak, but even after 37 years, it did not get too oaky. There’s quite a lot of vanilla, though. With water: perfect. Jelly babies all over the place plus sponge cake and just touches of oak spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. Only very minor flaw, it’s maybe a little lactic, kind of. Must be the American oak. Finish: not that long but very fruity. More a fruit salad than sweets this time. Comments: typical Lowlands style, with an amazing freshness after all these years. Some very good wood must have been involved at some point. But will this be the last Ladyburn we’ll ever try? Could well be, sob sob sob… SGP:641 - 87 points.