September 24, 2014

The Unlikely Duos Number One

That is to say a first whisky chosen more or less at random, and then another one that may have some kind of connexion to the first one, chosen after I’ve tried that one (Serge, once again, that does NOT make much sense!)

Highland Journey (46.2%, Hunter Laing, blended malt, 2014)

A brand new blended malt composed uniquely with Highlands malts, although I'm not 100% sure that does mean that there aren't any Speysiders inside, since Speyside is a sub-region of the Highlands - isn't it? Colour: gold. Nose: some youth for sure, as I find a lot of sweet barley and sweet beer in this mix, as well as a fresh maltiness combined with overripe apples and plums. Zwetschkes, for example, or juicy ripe greengages. I really enjoy this freshness, it’s got something of a Californian IPA (says the guy who just discovered those this year.) Mouth: well in line with the nose, with good power and a zesty/nervous mouth feel. Plenty of fruits and, indeed, a bit of a firm waxiness that suggests ‘the Northeastern Highlands’. Well, there’s nothing in the Northwest anyway – as far as distilleries are concerned. And bags of fresh malted barley, white pepper and, again, sweet beer. Finish: good length, full of youth, fruity, malty and slightly yeasty. Comments: I like it. It’s young, it’s a bit raw, but it’s a very pleasant journey – yet it’s not totally trippy ;-). Close to the distillate(s). SGP:451 - 80 points.

Good, let’s select… Well, something completely different, bearing the name of a blender…

The Famous Grouse 27 yo 1986/2014 'Commonwealth Games' (46.4%, OB, Glenturret, 1800 bottles)

This is well a single malt from Glenturret. I have to say we haven’t heard much about the Commonwealth Games in France – well, strictly nothing – but something funny may have had happened there according to some Scottish friends. Hope that’s not related to this whisky… Colour: gold. Nose: great! I mean, I like these rather steely notes that are very ‘Glenturret’, this shoe polish, the ink, the carbon paper, then the bitter oranges, the whiffs of ‘clean’ mud, the papayas… Very singular, very different. Mouth: yeah, it’s well a ‘different’ malt. Imagine a blend of calvados and coconut liqueur. I’d imagine some newish American oak has been involved at some point. Then cider, mead, sweet mustard, sweet oak, and again, this feeling of shoe polish. Finish: quite long, on marmalade and pepper. And shoe polish. Comments: certainly good stuff, pretty ‘different’ considering it’s a kind of touristic malt. Oh and it seems that it’s rather a 27 instead of the 28 years on the label. But who cares? SGP:451 - 83 points.