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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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February 4, 2015 |
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The Islay Odyssey 2015
Bringing rare whiskies back to their birthplace to open them.
Day Three |
Alright, we’ve tried a lot of whiskies again yesterday, and toured the stunning-as-ever Lagavulin Distillery and Port Ellen Maltings again. Nothing too new under the sun, but that may well be very good news if you ask me. Why change something that’s perfect? Many thanks to Georgie C. and Nick M., very great company, as expected. So, anyway, instead of posting notes for an interminable string of excellent whiskies (that’ll come), I thought I’d rather try to write about only one of them today. But that won’t be just any whisky… |
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Patrick's Port Ellen 12 yo (OB, The Queen’s Visit to Port Ellen’s Maltings, 1980)  One of, if not the most legendary Port Ellen, bottled in an Oban bottle when Queen Elizabeth II visited the maltings on August 9, 1980. No need to tell you how rare this is. Nobody seems to remember when it was distilled, but what’s sure is that it’s either 1967 or 1968. Or a vatting of both vintages, as the distillery was restarted in 1967. Are you following me? Colour: deep gold. |
Nose: starts vegetal, with notes of turnips and beetroots, some leather, some other roots, some Barbour grease, some clay… Typical of an old bottle that was just opened, but we know the fruits will come out eventually. Transits through overripe apples, notes of cake… Before more acidic notes, soot, carbolic soap and garden bonfire arise. More sour fruits as well, mangos, passion fruits… It’s also more and more mineral, with some kind of sooty gravel, scoria, coal… What a whirlwind! Totally exceptional. Mouth: the label wouldn’t say, but it tastes like +/-45% vol. Starts compact, greatly sour and sooty. Unripe kiwis and cider apples on a very ashy background. Eating cigar ashes moistened with grapefruit and kiwi juice. Or something like that. Gains power over time, let’s just let this baby breathe for a few hours, as it was just opened. Zzzz zzz… After around eight hours (that’s right, 8 hours): full-blown passion fruits, utterly magnificent, with a light coal smoke, as well as mangos. Utter perfection. Finish: an astounding freshness, for a long time. It kills you. Nearly. Comments: the son of Michelangelo and John Coltrane. After having tried quite a few whiskies, I think – well, I know – that I will never find a dram that’s even better. Peace and love. And thank you caro Patrick. SGP:657 - 99 points. |
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