Yet another wee trip around the globe


August 30, 2022

	Yet another wee trip around the globe
	Starting from France…

Armorik 'Yeun Elez Jobic' (46%, OB, France, +/-2022)

This is peated Armorik and Armorik is the real pioneer of Breton (and French for that matter) whisky – if you don't take some very small and somewhat unlikely earlier operations into account. They've been using Scottish malt peated to 50ppm. Colour: white wine. Nose: close to Ardmore, so rather 'lighter' than what those 50ppm suggested, but still clearly a peater, fresh, ashy ala CI, with some mint and some lemongrass. Some chalk too. It's clean, a tad uncomplicated, and yet very pleasant. Mouth: real good, pretty sweet, peaty and peppery, with some sweet apples and pears. This time we're thinking of peaty Benriach, even is comparison isn't reason. Finish: long, grassier, with rather what we sometimes call a 'farmy peat'. Comments: perfectly all right, just (probably) a little young, with edges that are still a little rough. Some progress for sure since last time I tried this expression.
SGP:467 - 80 points.

We could try another, gentler Armorik…

Armorik 'Sherry Cask' (46%, OB, France, +/-2022)

We had tried a 'sherry finish' at 40% vol. back in 2012 that was still a bit hesitant, but I know there's been big progress since back then, generally speaking. Colour: light gold. Nose: nice and cakey, I'd even dare mention kouign amann, that wonderful Breton cake that's shock-full of butter and caramel. Other than that, we have the usual walnut cake, which I always love, raisins, honey and dried figs. It's perfect easy sherry, and full-maturation this time. Mouth: very good, classic easier sherry indeed, with a little more citrus on the palate, marmalade, vanilla, honey… Nothing to throw away here, on the contrary, we're in the same league as that of the younger sherried Scottish malts. The well-reputed ones. Finish: rather long, a little tenser, fruitier, with some mandarine liqueur (Mandarine Napoléon) plus honey and fudge. Comments: works very well.
SGP:551 - 84 points.

To Switzerland, with another crazy Säntis…

Säntis 7 yo 2014/2021 (64.9%, OB, Switzerland, for Whisky Picnic Bar Taiwan, old beer cask, cask #2132, 84 bottles)

And it's a peater, at that, let's fasten our seat belts… Colour: dark brown. Nose: great fun, as often with Säntis. Let's say smoked burnt pinewood infused in cough syrup and Marmite. Water is mandatory at such strength. With water: much gentler. Basically, it's become dark toffee, which is always most enjoyable, of course. Now there's also rather a lot of dark moist pipe tobacco, Captain Black and all that. Mouth (neat): what!? They've first burnt truck tyres, apparently, then let simmer bits of them in a heated mix of anti-rust paint, lapsang souchong and fir and tar liqueur. Not for the faint-hearted, that's for sure! With water: oh very good! Prune liqueur, oranges, smoked meats and burnt wood, coal tar, pine liqueur, juniper and clove… This is perfect, as long as you enjoy 'different' whiskies, including very bold ones. Finish: very long, a tad drying and gritty, tea-tannic (good one S.) And hurray, Marmite is back in the aftertaste. Comments: these are just never boring.
SGP:475 - 85 points.

To Ireland…

Lough Gill 17 yo 2004/2021 'Athrù Single Cask Release' (56%, OB, Ireland, selected by Or Sileis, cask #0406109, 287 bottles)

Colour: deep gold. Nose: fresh, on melons and guavas, with hints of elderflowers and jasmine, plus a little hand cream or lady's moisturiser. A little paraffin. With water: a family pack of wine gums, babies, crocodiles, Jesuses, bears… Mouth (neat): rather a fruit bomb, with bags of melons indeed, guavas as well, and indeed a large pack of bonbons of all kinds. A little strong. With water: gets totally easy, on a large fruit salad and a good glass of all-vitamin juice. Finish: medium and always as fruity. Williams spears this time, perhaps, cantaloupes, pomegranates… Comments: very seductive and properly Irish. Bushmills is never really far away… (as far as styles are concerned). I find it excellent.
SGP:751 – 86 points.

To Taiwan! Which reminds me that we have loads of Kavalans and Omars to try…

Holy Distillery 2017/2021 'Salvation' (64.2%, OB, Taiwan, virgin cask, cask #16, 300 bottles)

We've tried an 'Amazing Grace' by Holy Distillery two years ago, it was very all right (WF 80) and gave us faith and hope (in their whiskies). Colour: reddish amber. Nose: it's almost a liquid kougelhopf that would have spent quite some time in your oven. Cakes, cedarwood or pencil shavings, toasted almonds, black turon, brownies… With water: more cedarwood yet but it's been under control, this is not cedar juice (neither is it cigar juice). Possibly one of the most 'Asian' noses out there, which of course I love, it reminds me of my travels and of all the awesome Buddhist temples I could visit, in China or elsewhere – even if it's probably not exactly the same kind of 'holiness' that's in play here. Mouth (neat): sweet and spicy. Plum and prune wine aged in oak, rooibos, caraway and ginger, red resins, blood oranges… With water: very good, with a feeling of triple-sec aged in oak. Lovely spiciness. Finish: rather long, with many oranges and spices, especially cloves. Orange-and-clove plus coffee in the aftertaste. Comments: modern whisky with proper character, extremely well mastered. You see, modern wood-driven whiskies are not all the same, after all.
SGP:661 - 86 points.

Ciao.