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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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September 17, 2015 |
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Five undetermined Scotch Whiskies,
some great |
That’s right, blends. And most will be blended malts, according to today’s list. Shall we need parachutes? |
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Lindrum 12 yo (43%, OB, blended malt, 16,128 bottles, +/-2015)  Lindrum is a brand that’s always been to be seen in small French wine shops but quite bizarrely, I don’t remember having ever tried it. It’s said to be a blend of 70% Speyside, 24% Highlands, and 6% Islay malts. It’s been finished in Loupiac casks, Loupiac being a neighbour of Sauternes, so a sweet white wine. Colour: gold. Nose: the wine feels a bit at first nosing, with notes of old barrique and apricot pie, but it’s the peat that comes out first after that, before notes of kirsch and farmyard start to rise. A bit rustic, perhaps, but in a pleasant way. Mouth: indeed it’s quite smoky, and there’s a little sourness from the wine cask again. After that, raw malt, grass, ginger and bitter/sour herbs. Some porridge for sure. Finish: rather long, a tad aggressive, always on grassy porridge, with some liquorice wood and a little marmalade. Comments: the wine casks brought a sourness to this combo, but it remains a pleasant whisky, quite malty. Much less dried fruits than expected, given the finishing that was done. Tja, grape and grain… SGP:362 - 78 points. |
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Kiln Embers (46%, Wemyss Malts, blended malt, 12,000 bottles, 2015)  This new NAS is said to shelter twice as much peated Islay whisky than their Peat Chimney. Colour: gold. Nose: you just cannot not think of Islay Mist. This is very ‘young Islay’, and indeed it reeks of a working kiln, soaked barley, and a old fireplace somewhere near Bridgend. Behind that, rather peaches ala Ardmore, perhaps a small bit of pineapple, and a very pleasant earthy side. Autumn leaves and mushrooms – how timely. Mouth: some very young peated Islay in this, if I’m not mistaken. That works well because some rather more mature fruity whiskies are keeping it mellower than it could have been. So, tamed youth, and I do enjoy it a lot, really. Feels like some holidays on Islay. Finish: quite long, always young, smoky, and very ‘Islay’ indeed. Comments: I think this is very smart blended malt whisky, extremely well composed, using young Islay malt that you probably couldn’t quite sip as a single (not you, the whisky, ha-ha). SGP:455 - 85 points. |
While we’re having blended peat… |
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The Peat Monster ‘Cask Strength’ (57.3%, Compass Box, 2,000 magnums, 2015)  While some are issuing 50 or even 35cl bottles, Compass Box are doing magnums. Well done, well done! The Peat Monster 10th Anniversary, two years ago, had been quite brilliant (WF 87). Colour: white wine. Nose: bing bang boom, this is ultra-chiselled, whistle clean, very mineral, smoky, zesty, and very Sancerre-y. Except that you also get muesli instead of grapes. Perfect so far. With water: oh raw wool, soot, exhaust fumes, old tools, perhaps a little tallow… A bit ‘Ledaig’ now, so dirtier but not in a bad way at all. Mouth (neat): lime, lemon, barley, smoked salt (ever tried that?) and mercurochrome. That style rings a bell, doesn’t it. The purity’s quite amazing, while purity’s not quite what we’re expecting from a blended product! With water: more grass, lemons, sooty things, ashes, angelica… Finish: long, and earthier. I’m asking you, who would add some lemon to a cup of lapsang souchong? The English? ;-) Comments: I find this very perfect, and since we’ll quaff much of this, a magnum is welcome. Now let me issue a warning, the very narrow bottle will not make for a worthy lamp stand once emptied. SGP:457 - 88 points. |
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Robust Smoky Embers 23 yo (54.3%, Cadenhead, Creations, blend, 2015)  The last ‘Robust Smoky Embers’ (what a name) by Cadenhead we had tried was a 21yo, and a blended malt. This time we’re having a blend of Caol Ila 1991 and Invergordon 1991, both hogsheads. Might be softer than the Compass Box… Colour: deep gold. Nose: oh lovely. Soft and firm, with, hold on, smoked oriental pastries? Smoky honey? Kilned fudge? Seriously, could someone try to kiln vanilla fudge one day? I especially love the mentholy smoke, the notes of bergamots, and the almondy side (artisan marzipan). In this case, 1+1=3. With water: all things earthy, including earth. Cigars, mud, clay, pu-erh tea, a meadow on Islay after the rain (so, anytime)… But the malt killed the grain. Not that we shall complain. Mouth (neat): crikey, this works a treat! There is a wee roughness (raw kirsch) but I’m sure it’ll be gone once water is added. Perfect marmalade, smoked zests, white cherries, a touch of burnt herb… I’m telling you, this is the best use of a cask of 20yo+ grain whisky ever. With water: I was wrong, it’s still a wee bit rough/grassy, but once again, the barley took over. Finish: long, earthy, on smoked green tea. I know the Taiwanese would kill us if we ever tried to smoke one of their superb wulongs, but there, this is how that would taste. Comments: quite a brainwave, and one of the best blends ever. SGP:456 - 90 points. |
To go on? That would be a bad idea. Unless we try an old blended malt ‘for the road’. |
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RM 20 yo (46%, OB, blended malt, Forbes, Farquharson & Co., 75cl, 1970s) Never heard of Forbes, Farquharson & Co. in Leith, all I’ve seen is that the company’s been dissolved. But they were quite ahead of their time, 46% vol., blended malt, modern design, no or little caramel… Let’s check their juice! Colour: straw. Nose: ah, competition, at last! This is akin to an Old Clynelish, or a kind of stronger and sharper version of the famous Glen Brora. Old coins, copper, metal polish, smoked hay, paraffin and plasticine, kippers, honeydew, cough syrup, menthol, liquorice, dead leaves, green cigars (like they make in Indonesia), shoe polish… I’m wondering if people had much less of a sweet tooth back in the days. What’s always great with these old whiskies is that the dreadful and utterly vulgar vanilla was almost always… absent. Mouth: exceptional, starting with star anise and tangerines, so fruity and lively, and going on with more polishy notes, putty, waxes… There simply must have been some Old Clynelish in this. Would you know anyone who used to work at Forbes, Farquharson & Co.? Finish: long, earthy, smoky, herbal, waxy, and simply delicious. Comments: a surprise for sure. That’s what’s great with old blends at auctions, you pay peanuts but it’s not monkeys that you (may) get! SGP:363 - 90 points. UPDATE: in fact it's an unblended malt, so a single, and possiby a Blair Athol or Dufftown since it's a Bell's kind of bottle - thanks Angus! |
Only blends today, but what a session! |
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