
April 21, 2021

Even More blends and bastards

Because there's more, always more… Undisclosed singles, vatted malts, blends…

House of Hazelwood 21 yo (40%, blended Scotch, +/-2020)

William Grant's posh line of blends, bearing a brand name we rather used to be used to with regard to Kinninvie in the good old days. I've liked the 18 in the past (WF 84) but I don't think I've ever tried this little 21. Colour: white wine. Nose: I'm rather fond of this style, even if you're soon to understand that the lousy 40% vol. will make for a serious handicap on the palate. Lovely tiny herbs, chartreuse, verbena liqueur, even a little gentian, then panettone and brioche ridden with sultanas. Some oriental pastries too, baklava, orange blossom, Turkish delights… Well this one makes you travel, which is just ueber-cool these days. Mouth: why this murderous A.B.V.? It makes it flat and dry, while I'm dead sure the juice was perfect at, say 45% vol. or even 43%. The lower strengths make the wood stand out, and the whiskies flattish, tea-ish and cardboardy. This is a perfect example. Boo. Finish: short and cardboardy, with some disturbing coconut, but a salty and kind-of-smoky signature gives it away, the juice was lovely. Comments: not just because of 'inflated' packaging, this baby reminds me of Suntory's Hibiki 21. Both very frustrating whiskies.
SGP:442 - 78 points.

The Nameless Three 5 yo 2014/2020 (50.8%, The Whisky Mercenary, Islay)

According to some rumours on (anti)social media, this one comes with a portrait of the King of Belgium on the label. All hail the King! Colour: pale white wine. Nose: this typical sweetness of L. So neither Bunny not CI this time. In truth you feel like you're wandering throughout the distillery while it's working at full speed. Fresh malt just delivered from PE maltings, gentle chats, crab sandwiches, scallops from the bay, and freshly squeezed oranges. With water: visiting the PE maltings, a pint of IPA in your hands. Some raw wool and very few medicinal notes, if any. Mouth (neat): peated oranges. That feeling will vanish once the drop gets older, but in its infancy, that's just what you get, deep-smoked oranges and pomegranates. With water: herbal, slightly fermentary notes popping out, but the core remains sweet and fruity. Salty ale rather than IPA this time. Finish: pretty long, first leafy, then on Fanta. Apologies. Comments: very good super-young drop. More part of an 'ageing monography' as dear M. Samaroli would have said, and probably not quite mature, but quality's already high.
SGP:657 - 84 points.

Peat & Sherry (58.8%, Elixir Distillers, Elements of Islay, for Velier, blended malt, sherry butt, cask # 997152, 2020)

Peat & Sherry (58.8%, Elixir Distillers, Elements of Islay, for Velier, blended malt, sherry butt, cask # 997152, 2020)
It's always a little bizarre to spot a blended malt that's bearing a cask number, unless they've done some in-cask vatting. Or this is Williamson (pure speculations!) Colour: deep gold. Nose: pure lapsang souchong. I mean, really, this is lapsang souchong tea. Perhaps with a touch of hibiscus – must be the sherry. With water: an even tarrier lapsang souchong. Incredible. Mouth: when modernness is an asset. Rich oranges and smoked oysters, truffles, curry, lime and citron, green walnuts, genuine gentian eau-de-vie, cardamom. Very modern concoction, very good. The future is bright and the birds are singing in the trees. With water: gets much saltier. Anchovies in brine, black olives, capers, samphires, pickled lemons. Do a chicken marinade with this? With a good glass, I mean bottle of gewurztraminer, perhaps? Finish: long, salty, sweet and sour. More pickled lemons and more smoked tea. Comments: pure sorcery and cookery. The outcome is rather perfect, if a little 'pushy' at times.
SGP:467 - 87 points.

Speyside Region 28 yo 1991/2020 (40.8%, Whisky-Fässle, barrel)

Whisky-Fässle, one of the only places where the ducks, I mean the whiskies are never lame. Colour: straw. Nose: some rather wonderful citrusy notes, plus sunflower oil, barley syrup, mead, beeswax, touch of camphor, mint and eucalyptus, wormwood, absinth… All that's rather whispering, delicate, elegant, and just lovely. Hope the palate won't be too weak at this lower strength – but natural low strengths and deeply reduced ones are just not the same thing, as we both know only too well. So… Mouth: a meady one, full of beeswax, mead indeed, pine wood, chamomile, other herbal teas, cigarette tobacco, pink pepper, pear compote, then stewed tropical fruits, like bananas and papayas. It would just never nosedive, despite the low strength. Finish: medium, not short, a tad bouillony and even salty. Not something that's often to be found in a barrel. Comments: a curious little whisky that, in truth, isn't little at all. A tad fragile here and there but absolutely not broken. In short, truly lovely. Oh and the exact opposite to the Peat & Sherry as far as styles go.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Speyside Region 24 yo 1995/2020 (50.3%, Whisky-Fässle, barrel)

No ducks. Colour: light gold. Nose: totally on fat barley and custard, overripe apples, Gueuze, brioche, orange blossom, and honeysuckle. With water: beers, peelings, fresh bread, dried apricots, stewed peaches. You need not more. Mouth: excellent fat barley-y malt. Awesome apples, oranges, tangerines, muesli. I need say no more. With water: apple pie, soft almond milk, drops of barley wine, the faintest touch of waxed paper, and a tiny bit of pecan pie. Very traditional all-malt whisky, al natural. Finish: rather long, extremely barley-y and on cakes. Walnut cake, apple cake… Comments: high-class malt whisky, totally on… malt whisky. A kind of epicentre of maltiness. Some say this is M. I would tend to agree. But hey, why do the indies always have the upper hand?
SGP:551 - 88 points.

Speyside 22 yo 1998/2020 (48.9%, Thompson Bros., refill hogshead)

This time, rumour has it that this would be G. No, not gin. Colour: straw. Nose: we're in the same vein, that is to say on cakes, barley, soft beers, and a few preserved fruits such as greengages and other kinds of plums. The distillate isn't as 'fat' as the previous one, but it's just as natural and lovely. A little sunflower and hazelnut oils. Mouth: more oomph, more knack, and more zing. Distilled beer (the very extreme taste of Brewdog's cold-distilled beer is still in my memory) and just brioches, sponge cakes, Jaffa cakes, more gueuze, some orange squash. Very good, very natural. With water (not quite needed but there)…: excellent, fresh. Lemon blossom lemonade, some rather citrusy honeys, some perfect barley. Finish: medium, very cakey and lemony. All right, lemon cake. Comments: it's probably quite suicidal that the brand, such as 'G.', wouldn't allow the indies to use the name in these kinds of cases. But there, it's a very lovely malty whisky, well done the Thompsons.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Let's shake the boxes and see what falls out…

Red Snake (59.5%, Blackadder, Raw Cask, Caroni rum cask finish, cask #redneck 27, 255 bottles, 2017)

What? What was this madness? Colour: deep gold. Nose: lost, we're lost. A Caroniness for sure, so some kind of earthy and eucalyptussy smokiness, then some pistachio-ed creaminess and rather much vanilla. The jury's still out… With water: Caroni's petrol and engine oil. This reminds me of my old Ducati Scrambler 450 that, last time I rode it just a few weeks ago… Oh forget… Mouth (neat): very extreme blend of spirits. It must be a heavy peater at the core. Water is just obligatory here; I don't think anyone should quaff this in its natural form. Salt, petrol, smoke, olives. With water: like drinking salted petrol. Huge brine, tar, capers, olives, polishes, artichokes… Finish: very long, salty, challenging. A touch of sulphur in the aftertaste Comments: can a whisky, well a rumsky, be too extreme? Very huge meta-spirit, nonetheless.
SGP:464 - 84 points.