
June 22, 2018

Some mad North Port (Brechin!)

Possibly one of the most useless sessions this year, but I never thought I’d be able to build another proper North Port line-up, since it’s one of the old closed distilleries that almost everyone’s forgotten about. Some anti-Port Ellen or Brora, in a way, but we’ll only have four of them on the tasting table, and no new one, unfortunately. I know, that’s weak…

North Port-Brechin 1970/1990 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice)

Could be grassy, very grassy… Colour: gold. Nose: well, it’s really light, and it’s relatively mushroomy and musty. Last night’s freshly squeezed apples, old magazines, and a feeling of rainwater in an old bucket in the garden. Shall we call it ‘charming and a little outmoded’? Mouth: same kinds of flavours, with dried porcinis, Caesar’s mushroom powder (my dear wife just found some of that for me – love it), cider, and a camphory maltiness that’s really pleasant. This is almost like tasting some very old white Burgundy. No, not obligatorily a Montrachet, a little Chablis will do. Finish: a little short, as expected, but rather delicate. Comments: or perhaps a really old Meursault?
SGP:351 - 84 points.

North Port 23 yo 1971/1995 (54.7%, OB, Rare Malts)

North Port 23 yo 1971/1995 (54.7%, OB, Rare Malts)
Ah, how we regret the very classy Rare Malts! Colour: light gold. Nose: a little hard to reach, even austere. Some kind of sooty grass, what remains of a beach bonfire the next morning (not including the empty bottles), whiffs of an old flower bouquet, then rather citrus that’s starting to rot. Just starting. Oh and some white wine again. With water: damp cardboard and old books. Forgotten aromas… Mouth (neat): very good, if rather austere again. Earthy herbs, lemon, roots, tangerines, ashes, and just a pinch of icing sugar to make it, well, a little easier. With water: more fruits (apples) but the sooty/earthy grassiness remains there. Finish: rather long and rather sweeter and maltier. Pot ale. Comments: very un-commercial, I would say, but not quite as challenging as other early Rare Malts. That Glendullan…
SGP:461 - 86 points.

North Port 24 yo 1975/2000 (61.1%, Signatory Vintage, refill sherry, cask #2094, 620 bottles)

North Port 24 yo 1975/2000 (61.1%, Signatory Vintage, refill sherry, cask #2094, 620 bottles)
I really don’t remember this one, but better get ready… Colour: white wine. Nose: this is Cuban aguardiente straight from the still, really. A very grassy sugarcane-iness, then rounder hints of raisins and, well, rum. Bizarre bizarre, how bizarre is this? (Louis Jouvet, come out of this body!) Behind that, old grasses, moss, humus, mushrooms. With water: a bizarre (yes) tarry side, new tyres, bicycle inner tube, brand new Tesla (I’m joking)… Mouth (neat): cough cough! A brutal yet very lemony and grassy arrival, and it would just go on like that for ages. Ages… With water: don’t, just don’t. Leatherette. Finish: rather long, grassy, with fruit peelings, cold green tea… Comments: not an easy one. Rather for the Einsteins of malt whisky?
SGP:561 - 76 points.

North Port 23 yo 1976/2000 (61.3%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #74.5)

This one was named ‘Amazonian forest floor after a Dolly Parton gig’ – I’m joking, they were giving no names to their bottlings, whether silly or not, around the year 2000. Colour: gold. Nose: niiice! Sure it’s as grassy and austere as the others, and indeed it’s both musty and sooty, but it’s got an intriguing depth. Notes of sauvignon blanc, asparagus, turnips, celeriac, lemon, chives, wild leek… With water: damp newspapers, muddy waters (a matter of mojo), mashed potatoes… Mouth (neat): smashes you with its lemons and hits you with earthy vegetables, while rounder and sweeter touches of barley syrup keep it approachable. With water: goody good, gets more citrusy while getting also a little rounder and even a tad syrupy. Some earthy syrups, I would say, saps… Finish: lemons and apple peel, for a rather long time. Rooty aftertaste – the turnips are back, Baldrick! Some unexpected notes of toasted bread and shortbread are there too. Comments: challenging at times, but it’s got this old-school uncertainty that got so deliciously out of fashion. Ha-ha.
SGP:551 - 84 points.

Stay tuned for the next North Port (Brechin) session… in a few years.

(Thanks to Greg, Helen, Konstantin, Paul)

Check the index of all North Port we've tasted so far