December 3, 2015

Little bags of whisky
Today Speyside malts

Like we sometimes do, we’ll blend (so to speak) different new or newish bottlings in these series. Why? Why not!

Mannochmore 15 yo 1999/2014 (46%, Scyfion, Ukraine, muscat Dniprovskyi finish, 312 bottles)

This is probably our first bottling for Ukraine! And I need to add that we haven’t tasted many Mannochmores (of Loch Dhu fame), and neither have we tried many muscat finishes. So, this is a genuine first. Colour: gold. Nose: this feeling of entering an old wine cellar, with whiffs of mushrooms, old oak, saltpetre, gravel… And yet it’s not totally musty, not at all, especially since notes of sweet white wine do emerge indeed. Even if to be honest, I wouldn’t recognise Muscat. Rather sweet pinot gris, in fact (late harvest). With water: becomes cake-y, which is great. Orange cake, apple cake, apricot pie. It never gets heady. Mouth (neat): it reminds of Glenmorangie’s older Sauternes finish (a 1981) that I had found quite excellent. Notes of apricot jam, roasted peanuts, chamomile tea… The good news is that we remain ‘around’ malt whisky. Some tart oranges as well. With water: really good! Musty oranges – much better than that sounds. Mirabelles. Finish: rather long, very sweet but not sugary. Wine gums. A leafiness in the aftertaste, cherry stems, buds… Comments: I was scared; I was wrong. Sweet wines, when not used ‘excessively’, may really work. SGP:651 - 86 points.

Benriach 25 yo 1990/2015 (47.9%, Liquid Treasures, Travel to Mars, bourbon barrel)

Let’s see if this little baby is otherworldly or not. Colour: straw. Nose: oh, it’s one of the chalky ones! Starts with, well, chalk, aspirin tablets, or clay, or limestone… And it’s only after a good fifteen seconds that more Benriachy notes of white fruits start to rise to your nostrils. White peaches, yellow peaches, greengages, cider apples… They come together with a little menthol and fresh almonds. Mouth: sweet and fruity, very ‘refill’, with an acidic side. Barley sugar and a lot of grapefruits. The gooseberries are back as well. Finish: medium, kind of green, with a peppery aftertaste. Comments: a pretty raw and green old Benriach. Rather the opposite of the lush ones. Pretty good, of course. SGP:461 - 84 points.

Miltonduff 6 yo 2008/2015 (65.1%, Chapter 7, sherry butt, cask #900109, 663 bottles)

Whah, this should be brutal and beastly! Where’s my parachute?... Colour: gold. Nose: you can nose it, but you have to be careful. What I get is a lot of roasted nuts and toasted pastries, a bit in the style of several very young Aultmores that some indies had last year. Freshly made praline. With water: phew, it does seem to swim. Plenty of butterscotch and shortbread. Even more than at Harrod’s in Heathrow! Mouth (neat): I hate writing that you can sip it like that. Cappuccino, pistachio cream, hazelnut liqueur, a touch of peppered baklavas. But it, ach, err, starts to burn. Where’s my pipette? With water: some gingery oranges coming out, but not ‘sherry’ as such. And indeed, it’s well in the style of the aforementioned Aultmores. Creamy and cake-y. Nutella. Finish: rather long, kind of pleasantly light. Loads of softish marmalade. Comments: I find this excellent given the age. Its extremely drinkable, provided you’ve got water at hand. SGP:641 - 83 points.

Miltonduff 1996/2015 (47.4%, Sansibar, S Spirit Shop, bourbon cask)

Our bad habits are back, we could not not select another Miltonduff. Hope this is not a picture of a guy who just tried this whisky, on the label. Colour: white wine. Nose: sucrose and Haribo’s Christmas selection (if they do that). Ultra-sweet and all on bonbons, sweets, drops, and God knows what else. Most being orange-flavoured. Mouth: fully naked, whistle-clean, fruity (as in sweets, again), with a little grass in the background. Sugarcane syrup, lemon juice… You could almost make a mojito out of this, you don’t even need rum, lemon, or sugar cane syrup. Just add a few mint leaves! Finish: rather long, sharp, grassier, and more lemony. Only the aftertaste is a little less ‘chiselled’. Comments: a lovely freshness in this one. Just a wee tad too sweet for me. SGP:651 - 82 points.

Mortlach 16 yo 1998/2015 (48.8%, Ceder & Tjeder, Dram Good Whisky No.2, 1st fill barrel, cask #11016, 270 bottles)

Colour: light gold. Nose: so very Mortlach! Graphite, sulphur (stones or powder, not burnt), citrons, linseed oil, vanilla, wet clothes, hay, sour dough, leaven… The most characterful of them all, for sure. Mouth: ah this is pretty perfect. Oranges and honey sauce dropped onto some kind of resinous oils, pink grapefruits, fresh croissants (no need to sing the Marseillaise, no worries), lemon, angelica, gooseberries… The strength is perfect. Finish: rather long, with a tropical side. Mangos joining in the dancing fun. A touch of vanilla in the aftertaste, and even a little salt. Comments: superb Mortlach au naturel, without any obvious (and vulgar) wood – even if this was first fill, it’s ‘light’ first fill. What a distillate! Almost 90 points in my book – but this isn’t quite Christmas yet, is it. SGP:551 - 89 points.

Little bags of whisky Today Speyside malts

Little bags of whisky
Today Speyside malts